Mid-Missouri sees three fatal motorcycle crashes over Labor Day weekend

Just as the holiday weekend crash counting period was getting underway, mid-Missouri saw two motorcycle crashes Friday afternoon. One in Columbia was fatal.

Friday’s fatal crash was the second for 2016 in Boone County.

Saturday afternoon, a third motorcycle driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries after colliding with a car on the Business Loop in Columbia.

Additionally, on Saturday, a 47-year-old motorcyclist died in a crash in Howard County. Also in Howard County, another motorcyclist was killed Monday.

In 2015, there were more than 2,000 motorcycle crashes across Missouri. 92 of those crashes were fatal. One of the crashes was in Boone County.

During the first week of September 2015, covering the Labor Day holiday, there were 77 motorcycle crashes across Missouri. Two of those Labor Day crashes were fatal, but neither happened in Boone County.

Jim Knapp has ten years experience with motorcycles and says April/May and September he sees a increase in crashes as well as more people riding motorcycles.

Knapp tells ABC 17 News that motorcycles are more vulnerable to crashes because they are much smaller than cars or trucks so extra steps have to be made by motorcyclists to make sure they have attention drawn to them.

“Blinking a couple of times, pointing to where you are turning, all draw attention to you and people will naturally look when they see repeats,” Knapp says.

According to Missouri State Highway Patrol the top five contributing factors for fatal motorcycle crashes in Missouri are, speeding, improper lane use, alcohol, not paying attention and wrong side not passing.

Highway Patrol also says a majority of motorcycle crashes involved with a car are caused by the car or truck driver.