Since the beginning of this year there have been 52 motorcycle accidents in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk Counties.  In those 52 accidents, 40 people have died as a result of their injuries.  This is an appalling statistic and should warrant concern in both the biker community, law enforcement, and the larger motorist community.  Some of these accidents have occurred as a result of excessive speed, alcohol or substance use, driver inattention, or poor sight lines.  Whatever the cause, 40 deaths in such a small area is 40 too many. 

This photo taken by the St. Pete Times shows an unruly Red Sox fan being arrested on top of the Rays dugout during Wednesday night's game at the Trop.  Normally, this wouldn't draw my attention save for the fact that the arresting officer has a Taser gun pointed at the back of the man's head.  He's already on the ground and another officer appears to have him subdued.  So why pull out the Taser?  St. Petersburg Police officials are looking into the incident since internal policies prohibit aiming or firing a taser at someone's head or neck.

The Taser gun has come under intense scrutiny for its sometimes lethal effects, in spite of the fact that the gun has been aggressively marketed as an alternative to deadly force.

A 46 year old Plant City man has died after being tasered three times by Hillsborough County deputies.  The deputies tasered Roney Wilson 3 times after responding to a call that he was becoming violent and would not leave a residence.  When police arrived at the scene of his mother's house, he was in his mother's pickup truck. His 70 year old mother had called for help stating that he needed help and that he suffered from bipolar disorder.  Yet, when the police confronted him, he refused to leave the truck.  They tasered him three times to get him out of the truck after a brief struggle with him.  When they noticed he was unresponsive, he administered CPR, to no avail. 

Wilson had been arrested previously for misdemeanor battery and driving with a suspended license.  His mother wanted to get him help for his mental issues.  She didn't want him to die.  The taser was used to subdue a suspect with a history of mental issues, not a a hardened, violent criminal.  Once again, taser use results in a needless death. Perhaps, law enforcement should consider an alternative to the taser which is quickly becoming a lethal weapon rather than an alternative to deadly force as it has been promoted.

I can't help notice how many drivers in the Tampa Bay area are sending text messages while driving.  It used to be that when you saw a driver weaving in and out of a lane or speeding up and slowing down erratically, you could pretty much guess the driver had been drinking.  Not anymore.  Now the driver may be distracted because he or she is sending a text message rather than paying attention to the traffic, other vehicles, or the traffic signals. 

This is a dangerous trend that will result in many many more accidents that could have been avoided if the driver would have stopped texting and paid attention to the road.  Tampa Bay roads are already congested.  There are many bad drivers out there.  Texting while driving is like playing Russian roulette.  Stop texting while driving, it's that simple.

Perhaps this isn't a new phenomenon but I've been noticing a troubling trend in the Bay area lately.  Parents are getting arrested for DUI with minor children in the vehicle!  It's bad enough to drink and drive but to endanger the lives of innocent children is unconscionable.  The police are charging such drivers not only with DUI but with additional charges of child neglect.  Impaired driving is absolutely unacceptable under any circumstance but to involve children in reckless, criminal behavior is way over the line.  Impaired driving, which includes the use of prescription drugs that alter your ability to react, must be rooted out before we lose more lives and more loved ones.  If you're driving and spot an impaired driver, call the police, the life you save may be your own.

First, a man died in Tampa on I-4 after his motorcycle crashed into the rearend of a tractor trailer.  Rafael Colon was killed after being run over by at least two vehicles on the Interstate in Tampa.

Then, Friday night, Algernard Brown, of St. Petersburg was critically injured after his motorcycle crashed at a high rate of speed on 18th St. South in St. Petersburg.  Brown was not wearing his helmet and is very seriously injured. 

Finally, Monday afternoon Kevin Lund of Frostproof was killed when he struck the right front portion of a Ford F-150 pickup which was turning left at the time of the crash. 

All three of the crashes were preventable.  Perhaps all motorists, including those driving motorcycles need to remind themselves that one mistake or careless error can cost a life on the roadway. 

The Florida Highway Patrol has begun a campaign to address the growing number of motorcyclist fatalities in Florida.  The campaign, dubbed "Ride Proud. Dress Loud" seeks to draw attention to what it sees as a major cause of the number of motorcycle accidents-other drivers simply don't see them. 

In 2006, the most recent data available, 521 Florida motorcyclists were killed on the road, up from 441 in 2005.

Nearly 1 million General Motors vehicles are subject to recall because their heated windshield washer system poses a fire hazard.  The vehicles being recalled include:

• Model year 2006-08 Buick Lucerne sedans and model year 2008 Buick Enclave SUVs.
• Model year 2006-08 Cadillac DTS sedans and model year 2007-08 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT SUVs.
• Model year 2007-08 Chevrolet Avalanche and Silverado trucks and Suburban and Tahoe SUVs.
• Model year 2007-08 GMC Acadia, Yukon, and Yukon XL SUVs and Sierra trucks.
• 2008 Saturn Outlook SUVs.

According to the manufacturer the problem stems from a short circuit in the grounding wire.