News 3 Investigators obtained Virginia State Police dash camera video showing dangerous behavior on our area's roads.
The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration reported that 6,000 people were killed in motorcycle fatalities in 2022. That's a 1% increase over the year prior, which held a record-high year of deaths.
The VSP dash camera video from late March shows how they tried to pull over a woman on a motorcycle on I-264 in Virginia Beach with speeds of over 100 miles an hour.
The video shows the trooper following the rider as she is swerving in and out of traffic, refusing to stop. The 23-year-old sailor then exited at Independence Boulevard near Town Center and crashed. She ultimately died.
We obtained another video from October 26, 2021, when police were trying to pull over a man on a motorcycle at 8:15 p.m. on I-64 in Chesapeake with speeds of over 100 miles an hour. After crashing against the guardrail, he was arrested.
Virginia State Police Sergeant Jeffery Tharpe said during the summer, they usually have two or three severe motorcycle crashes, but they respond to motorcycle accidents on a daily basis.
Rider Paul Burford said, “I’ve been to about three funerals this year. So, a lot of the families have to deal with their loved ones passing away because there is not a lot of protection when you’re on a motorcycle.”
He and other riders we spoke to expressed concern over drivers in cars not paying enough attention to people on motorcycles, adding that there's a lack of respect for riders on the road.
“They follow too close and a lot of times they will run you off the road,” said Burford.
Experts say it’s a combination of problems that lead to so many deaths, and sometimes, drivers are not watching for motorcycles closely enough.
However, experts also say that too many people on motorcycles are going too fast, swerving in and out of traffic and even doing what’s called "drop a gear and disappear" - a term riders use to describe downshifting the motorcycle, which they say gives you the opportunity to excel at a faster rate.
Dwain Reid, a 24-year-old self-described adrenaline junkie, said people will do it when they’re running from the cops or need to get out of a situation.
Christopher Heidebur, who owns a motorcycle shop in Virginia Beach called Speedgearz, has been riding for years. He says it's very dangerous when riders "drop a gear and disappear."
“When you get on these bikes, you have to know what you’re getting into and if you’re going to run from the police, you have to know what the outcome could be," said Heidebur.
Heidebur said he encourages new and younger riders to be safe.
He said a lot of younger adults and people in the military will get brand-new bikes and want to make it go as fast as possible. He said a lack of experience mixed with speed can put riders in danger.
He encourages every rider to “take the safety courses, even experienced riders can benefit from [them]."
Longtime rider Jim Tash is the business manager for Hampton Roads Motorcycle Safety Training and worked as an instructor for years. The group teaches motorcycle lessons to riders in the region.
Tash said they teach people how to be safer on the roads. He said the classes will also make you a better driver because it teaches you how to look out for motorcycle riders.
He hopes teaching safe practices will prevent speeding and discourage riders from taking part in risky behavior on the roads.
“We hope we’re making a difference with our classes,” said Tash.
Troopers say running from law enforcement puts many at risk.
“I think they need to be caught and I think they need to be prosecuted. They give us all a bad name,” said Tash.
Troopers say to stop if you are being pulled over.
“Yes, it’s a bad thing to get a summons, but you will see tomorrow. When you escalate that to eluding from police, it’s time in jail,” said Tharpe.
Tharpe said speeding and using risky driving tactics to evade law enforcement could lead to injuries for the rider and others on the road, which can be fatal. He said it's extremely difficult to go to someone’s house to tell them their loved one was killed, or be on the scene of accidents where the person took an unnecessary risk and caused injuries.
“We are people. We have feelings. We have emotions. We have to deal with that day in and day out, knowing that I had to perform my duties and somebody made bad decisions and it became bad for their outcome, but we still carry that weight every day. That’s not something that people talk about or even think to talk about, but we’re people just like anyone else,” said Tharpe.
Key findings from a National Traffic Highway Safety Administration report state the following:
- In 2021 there were 5,932 motorcyclists killed, 14 percent of all traffic fatalities. This is the highest number of motorcyclists killed since the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) started data collection in 1975.
- The number of motorcyclist fatalities in 2021 increased by 8 percent from 2020, going up from 5,506 to 5,932.
- An estimated 82,686 motorcyclists were injured in 2021, which is a 5 percent increase from 78,944 motorcyclists injured in 2020.
- Per vehicle miles traveled in 2021, the fatality rate for motorcyclists (30.20) was almost 24 times the passenger car occupant fatality rate (1.26).
- Thirty-six percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2021 were riding without valid motorcycle licenses.
- In 2021, motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes had higher percentages of alcohol impairment than drivers of any other motor vehicle type (28% for motorcycles, 24% for passenger cars, 20% for light trucks, and 3% for large trucks).
- Forty-three percent of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2021 were alcohol-impaired.
- Motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes at night were three times more frequently found to be alcohol-impaired than those killed during the day (42% and 16%, respectively) in 2021.
- In states without universal helmet laws, 55 percent of motorcyclists killed in 2021 were not wearing helmets, compared to 9 percent in states with universal helmet laws.
For information from the Virginia DMV regarding motorcycle licenses, including how to get your license and how to register your motorcycle, click here.
The DMV also has information on motorcycle training classes offered throughout the state, available here. As mentioned above, you can also register for classes with Hampton Roads Motorcycle Safety Training.
