With the cost of gasoline showing no mercy, it should come as no surprise that the number of motorcycle permits issued in the region through June is up by more than 550 over the same period last year.
It's a trend showing only upward growth, according to Lt. Mary Pfeifer, with the Ohio Highway Patrol's Marietta post.
"I expect that it does have a lot to do with the price of gas," she said. "Motorcycles are now being seen as alternative transportation."
Pfeifer said there are usually about 700 permits issued in the first half of the year. However, in District 7, which includes not only Marietta but Cambridge, New Philadelphia, Zanesville, St. Clairsville and Steubenville, there are nearly 1,300.
In addition to the numbers of motorcycle riders increasing, Pfeifer said there is an increase in the number of older riders and women seeking permits. Some older riders have had motorcycle licenses in the past, but maybe haven't ridden for years and let their license lapse.
Ohio ranks fifth in the United States with more than 630,00 licensed motorcyclists.
Sunshine Hughes, 27, and her sister, Jacinda Burton, 33, both of Marietta, are new motorcycle permit holders. The sisters hope to use their permits, which are good for a year, to master a shared Honda Rebel motorcycle, with an official license to follow in a month or so.
"I've wanted one for years," Hughes said of her new bike. "We get 70 to 79 miles per gallon."
For the sisters, the issue is mostly the cost of gas.
"My truck is sitting," Burton said. "It's outrageous to fill it up. I also have a car that isn't too bad on gas."
Burton rides their motorcycle mostly for fun and recreation. Hughes rides the bike to work.
"I ride about six or seven miles to work. When I fill my truck, it's about $100. It costs me $9.50 to fill the bike," Hughes said. "Why not now?"
Examiner Tammy Burke with the Ohio Driver License examining station in Marietta is one officer with the job of administering the 40-question permit test, then, down the road, a licensing examination and skills test.
"A permit is what it is - a learning process," Burke said. "It's a time to learn to ride."
The licensing office at Frontier Shopping Center is currently issuing eight motorcycle permits every day, Burke said.
"That's up," she said. "We are seeing more female riders, but the ratio is still 30 to 70 percent males."
There are restrictions with the rider permit.
New motorcycle riders may ride only in daylight hours, may carry no passengers, must stay off congested roads and interstate highways and must wear a protective helmet and eye protection.
About 75 percent of those who have permits pass their written and skills test for a license, she said. Four attempts are allowed.
Burke said drivers sharing the road with motorcyclists need to be more aware and pay attention.
"Cars are not watching all the time, and as more bikes are on the road, drivers need to be paying more attention," she said. "They need to watch for the inexperienced rider."
So far in 2008, there have been 18 motorcycle crashes in Washington County, resulting in 11 injuries and one death on June 14 on Virginia Street in Harmar, just outside the Marietta city limits, according to Pfeifer.
With the exception of the single fatality, that is actually an improvement in motorcycle safety over the same period in 2007 when 24 crashes were recorded involving 22 injuries.
"The most important thing that a motorcycle driver can do is be a defensive driver on the road," Pfeifer said. "It's also extremely important to wear a helmet and protective gear."
Pfeifer, who has 14,000 miles of riding under her belt, can attest for protective gear. Earlier this year she and another officer were seriously injured in a motorcycle crash while they were off duty. The crash is blamed on a drunk driver who hit their bike.
"If it had not been for a helmet, I don't think I would be here today," Pfeifer said.
