Looks like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could be a poster boy for aging, motorcycle-riding baby boomers. The actor-turned-politician exemplifies the gutsy breed of older motorcyclists who are hitting the road in record numbers.
The downside is that like Schwarzenegger, many of his riding counterparts have suffered their share of accidents. In 2004, there were 3,888 motorcycle deaths nationwide, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Many of those fatalities -- 46% -- involved motorcyclists 40 and older. That's up from 9% in 1982.
"The trend is reflective not of an aging population, but of the skyrocketing sales of high-powered bikes to baby boomers," says Candysse Miller, executive director of the Insurance Information Network of California.
Even Jean Hughes, a lobbyist for ABATE of California, a motorcycle organization, agrees that powerful performance cycles can be too much for some older riders whose reflexes may be slower. Hughes stresses that crowded roads, speed and an increase in the number of massive four-wheel vehicles that cyclists have to share the road with contribute to motorcycle deaths and injuries.
Lack of motorcycle training, failure to get proper licensing and discourteous drivers also add to a motorcyclist's risks, she says.
Ray Ochs, director of training and curriculum at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, does not believe it's inherently more dangerous for older people to ride motorcycles.
"With age comes wisdom," says Ochs, who is 57 and has been riding since 1963.
Getting back on the road after years of not riding can be a bit daunting with some of the heavier and more powerful bikes, he says. But older riders can adjust by taking training courses and learning their limitations.
Even Schwarzenegger, 58, a longtime enthusiast, is not immune to risks. His recent accident on his Harley-Davidson in Brentwood left him with 15 stitches on his upper lip. Police discovered that he did not have the proper license to operate a motorcycle. For various reasons, including legal technicalities, he was not cited.
News of the accident led ABATE to offer to pay for the governor to take a motorcycle safety course to get his proper operating license.
The group also offered the governor's 12-year-old son a one-year junior membership "so he too can learn about the safety and responsibility of being a motorcyclist," says Hughes. He was unhurt in the crash.
