What's driving the uptick in Washington motorcycle crashes?

More than 20 motorcycle riders have died in Washington in 2019 so far, according to preliminary data from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC).

That includes a woman who died after crashing into a guardrail on Sunday in Whatcom County. A man on the bike sustained injuries.

More than half of fatal motorcycle crashes in the state occur in a three-month period during spring andearly summer. That's due in part to more riders bringing out their bikes and getting reacquainted with riding, according to the WTSC.

But overall the number of fatalities each year is not growing, even as the state's population does. An average of 75 people die each year while riding a motorcycle in Washington.

It's cold comfort to Washington's Traffic Safety Commission.

"The crash rate has gone down, but we are always reminded that these are not rates, these are not stats, these are not numbers. These are people," said Mark Medalen, who manages the Motorcycle Safety Program for WTSC.

"So when we still have 75-80 people dying on motorcycles, we can't celebrate the fact that maybe the rates are going down."

Washington's population keeps growing, putting more cars and construction equipment on the roads. Those are threats for motorcyclists, according to Medalen, but he said there's something more that's driving the problem.

"There's a myth/perception out there that most of these motorcycle crashes are caused by other drivers. In fact, it's more like 75% [of the time] the rider's at fault, so it's rider error," Medalen said. "Either they were doing some sort of very risky behavior, or they were in over their head as far as skills are concerned."

He said those risks include speed, impairment, dangerous driving and illegal moves like lane-splitting. On a brighter note, he said riders who take advanced classes are statistically less likely to crash.

On the topic of lane-splitting, though, there is some debate about safety. A bill proposed in the state legislature in 2019 would have allowed it, in attempt to let motorcycles get through traffic congestion safely, and avoid rear-end collisions.

Each spring the state runs a campaign to educate riders on safety. Their motto: It's a fine line. As in, it's a fine line between your best ride and your last ride.

Story updated 6/3/2019 to include more information about lane-splitting.