Despite calls for motorcyclists and drivers of four-wheeled vehicles to safely share the road, the number of motorcycle-related fatalities in Hawai'i continues to climb.

The death of rider Steve Donohue, 43, following a Friday night crash brought the state- wide total to 21 motorcycle-related deaths so far this year, compared with seven at the same point last year.

The number of motorcycle-related deaths on Hawai'i roadways has risen in five of the last six years. Last year's total of 32 set a record for motorcycle fatalities in the state and ranked Hawai'i No. 3 in the nation in motorcycle-related fatalities per capita last year.

The previous high was 29 in 1994, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It's a dubious record that could be smashed this year if the number of fatalities from the first six months of 2009 doubles by the end of the year.

The figures, compiled by the state Department of Transportation, do not account for fatalities that occur away from public roads. According to Advertiser archives, there have been at least three additional motorcycle-related deaths this year: an 82-year-old man killed when he lost control of a motorcycle while riding on a service road at Dillingham Airfield, a 36-year-old man who died after crashing down an embankment off Pi'ilani Highway on Maui and a motorcyclist who died on a trail above Kahuku Motocross Track.

DOT officials, motorcycle club members and others who have tracked the expanding roster of lost lives are at a loss to explain the recent spike.

While many cite increases in the number of new riders and the overall number of motorcycles on the road, motorcycle sales nationally have been in decline since 2007 and have plummeted by more than 30 percent in the first quarter of 2009, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.

In 2008, there were 28,447 registered motorcycles in Hawai'i, 19,964 of them on O'ahu, according to the DOT.

Recent increases in motorcycle fatalities have also been popularly attributed in part to military personnel returning from deployment overseas.

However, over the last few years, the various armed forces have been aggressive in addressing perceived problems with returning troops purchasing motorcycles — typically high-performance sport bikes — and riding irresponsibly.

Some bases require troops who ride motorcycles to regularly attend experienced-rider classes. The Army has also instituted a policy, applied differently from base to base, requiring motorcycle riders returning from deployment to attend refresher courses before they can return to riding.

FACTORS IN ACCIDENTS

When motorcycle accident figures followed motorcycle sales upward at the start of the decade, some attributed the increase to baby boomers learning or re-learning how to ride on large Harley-Davidson-style cruisers. Yet, there has been only one officially recorded motorcycle fatality in Hawai'i this year involving an operator older than 50.

Of the 18 fatal motorcycle accidents for which the DOT has cited related causes, eight were found to have been speed related, seven involved another vehicle turning left in front of the oncoming motorcycle and two involved alcohol use on the part of the motorcycle operator. The narrow front profile of a motorcycle can make it difficult for drivers to accurately determine distance and speed, a key factor in many accidents initiated when a car turns or changes lanes in front of a motorcycle.

Motorcycle safety instructor Bill Labby said that when he approaches an intersection on a motorcycle, he first slows to assess the situation, then accelerates once he's sure it's safe. If there is a car or truck across the way, he tries to make eye contact to ensure that the driver sees him. If there's any chance that the car might cut in front of him, signal or no signal, he'll stop or pull over.

"In that situation, if someone is going to cut you off, you can either hit the brakes or accelerate and get out of the way," he said. "But you have to be in one of those two modes. Of course, you can't anticipate every situation. If someone is stupid and they gun it in front of you, you crash and become part of the statistics."

Two weeks ago, Thomas Reimer, 36, and his 7-year-old son Thomas Reimer Jr., were killed when their 2006 Suzuki motorcycle collided with a car that was attempting a left turn from Route 130 onto Ainaloa Boulevard on the Big Island. The driver of the car, Bobby Jiminez, 21, was arrested on two counts of negligent homicide and other charges.

On April 26, Eric Souza, 36, was killed when a rental van driven by Japanese tourist Jiro Matsunaga veered suddenly from the right lane to the left lane of Kailua Road in an attempt to make a U-turn. Souza, who was at the front of a group of five riders in the left lane, collided with the van. A second rider, a 43-year-old man, also hit the van and was hospitalized in critical condition. Matsunaga was later charged with third-degree negligent homicide and first-degree negligent injury.

Motorcyclist Jim Barnes, 51, of Kaimuki, said he has had numerous close calls with cars turning left in front of him at intersections.

"People will cut you off because they aren't paying attention, they don't understand that motorcycles are less stable and more vulnerable than cars, or they just don't care," Barnes said. "That's the sad part. Sometimes, even if you make eye contact, they'll still cut you off."

'SHARE THE ROAD'

Nationally, motorcycle fatalities have increased every year for the last 12 years, from 2,116 in 1997 to 5,357 in 2008, according to the NHTSA. The increase in fatalities outpaced the increase in the number of registered motorcycles in the United States, from 3.8 million in 1997 to 7.1 million last year (with sales of all two-wheelers estimated at more than 1 million last year).

The increase in motorcycle fatalities here and around the country hasn't gone unnoticed. Last month, the DOT joined transportation departments around the country in promoting a "Share the Road" message to riders and driver. Public service announcements began last week and will continue through the summer. A safety rally is also scheduled for July 4.

In February, the Honolulu Police Department called on Hawai'i drivers to operate their vehicles with extra caution because of the high number of fatalities early in the year. At the time, six motorcyclists had died in accidents, including a 29-year-old man who collided with a van that had made a left turn in front of him.

But collisions with other vehicles are only part of the problem. Over the ensuing month and a half after the HPD caution, six of seven motorcycle fatalities came in single-vehicle accidents, each involving excessive speed, loss of control or both.

Most recently, speed was cited by police as an apparent factor in the death of Donohue, son of former Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donohue, on Friday. According to police, Donohue lost control of his 2004 Suzuki motorcycle while attempting to exit the H-1 Freeway at the Wilder Street off-ramp.

Labby said that, all things considered, Hawai'i riders are at no greater risk than riders in other states. While local drivers may be notorious for not using turn signals to indicate their intentions, Labby said such potentially dangerous quirks are offset by "a real spirit of aloha."

"Here, if you want to get into a lane, people will let you in," he said. "In other states, they'll run you over and call your mother names."

Still, Labby said, riders and drivers alike can do much more to ensure their safety on the roads. In particular, he said, both need to remain aware of their surroundings at all times, ensure that their vehicles are properly maintained, and ride or drive within their limitations.