Every time Bill Labby hears about a motorcycle fatality, his heart skips a beat.

"I always go back and try to see if it was one of my students," said Labby, who teaches motorcycle safety at Leeward Community College. "It's so ingrained in me from the course: Was he wearing a helmet? Did he have on a long-sleeved shirt? Boots? Was speeding involved?"

Thankfully, he hasn't found any students in the obituaries.

But he's not alone in his concern. Motorcycle use in Hawai'i and nationwide has jumped as gas prices rise, baby boomers take to the open road and troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nationally, that increase has led to a rise in motorcycle fatalities, according to a Gannett News Service report that analyzed the federal government's Fatality Analysis Reporting System on thousands of motorcycle deaths between 2002 and 2006.

Among other things, the analysis linked less-restrictive helmet laws to increased fatalities. In 1988, 47 states required helmet use for all riders. Today, 20 do. In Hawai'i, only riders younger than 18 must wear helmets.

The analysis also linked increased fatalities to more baby boomers buying motorbikes —something Eric Tash, manager of the state Department of Health's Injury Prevention section, believes is accurate.

"Nationally, you see the increase in fatalities because boomers are starting to buy bikes — big bikes," Tash said. "The problem is that they're not as young as they used to be and that's a lot of power. They're getting into crashes and dying."

Nationally, riders 40 and older made up 47 percent of those killed in 2006, up from 44 percent in 2002, the GNS report said. The percentage of fatally injured motorcyclists age 50 or older also increased — from 21 percent in 2002 to 24 percent in 2006. The average age of motorcyclists killed in accidents is about 38.

If the trend continues, dying on a motorcycle could become a predominantly middle-aged phenomenon.

HAWAI'I BUCKS TREND

Last year, there were 47,453 licensed motorcycle riders in Hawai'i, up 3.24 percent from 2006. This year, safety instructor Labby has had to book riders nearly two months in advance because interest in his weekend classes is so high.

The most recent national statistics for the GNS analysis are from 2006, which show 7.3 fatalities for every 10,000 registered riders. That number is up from 5.6 a decade earlier.

Nationwide, the annual death toll rose from 2,160 to 4,810 over that same period. Meanwhile, fatality rates for other passenger vehicles have been falling, transportation officials say.

Hawai'i, however, is different. There has been no spike in motorcycle fatalities despite increased ridership.

What has increased, said Sgt. Bobby Long of the Honolulu Police Department, is speeding on motorcycles and problems with motorcycle groups on the road.

"We've had a lot of complaints over the past month of increased speeding on the H-3, so we're going to be monitoring it," Long said. "But as far as increased fatalities, I know it's been a concern nationally but it hasn't happened here.

"Motorcycles, not the Harleys but the ninja-types, are a cheaper way to get around. And you also have a lot of military returning from deployment and getting motorcycles. They have a little extra money or it replaces something that's missing since they returned."

Long said he was recently returning from the airport to town and two motorcycles whipped by his unmarked car.

"They were blazing," he said. "I chased them and finally pulled one over at the Middle Street on-ramp. It turned out he had just gotten back from Iraq. I started to lecture him: 'You survive a war only to come back here and die on a motorcycle? Where's the logic in that?' "

Lt. Binford Strickland with Marine Corps Base Hawai'i said all military personnel must ride with helmets on and off base. If caught riding without a helmet on base, they can have their motorcycle towed and operating privileges suspended.

He also said that in 2007, according to military records, the base at Kane'ohe Bay had two reported motorcycle accidents in April, November and December; all other months, there was one or none.

"From what our military police department has seen, the accidents generally don't come from experienced riders, but from new riders that are not as familiar or comfortable with riding a motorcycle," Strickland said.

The military doesn't know how many personnel buy bikes when returning from deployment, but dealers said they see a spike when troops return.

Gilbert Valverde, sales manager of the South Seas motorcycle dealership in Waipahu, said the motorcycle boom isn't limited to the military, though.

"We see a good mix of military and local people," he said. "There are a whole mix of reasons for it: gas prices, guys moving to Hawai'i where you can bike all year, and it's just a much cheaper form of transportation."

TC Charters, sales manager at Domenico's Motorcycles in Kane'ohe, said one Marine returning from deployment was met by his family when he stepped off the plane at the airport and they came straight to his shop to buy a Harley.

"When I talk to people in our showroom, I collect reasons for why they did or didn't buy," Charters said. "A lot of time they're just coming back from Iraq, or just want to get into it, or every once in a while it's about gas."

New motorcycles can range from $4,200 to $42,000, depending on the make and size, though many opt for cheaper used bikes.

CLASSES BOOKED SOLID

The motorcycle safety course at Leeward Community College is the lone class listed on the state Department of Transportation Web site, though the same classes also are taught on military bases at Pearl Harbor, Kane'ohe Bay and Schofield Barracks.

As of Wednesday, Labby's weekend motorcycle safety classes have already been booked through the last weekend in May. During spring break, 96 new motorcycle operators earned certification at LCC.

The college faces a shortage of certified teachers. Currently, there are four certified teachers, and 14 more who have submitted paperwork and are awaiting clearance from the state Department of Motor Vehicle's Motorcycle Safety Administration.

LCC is looking to add classes on O'ahu, Maui and the Big Island, and bring classes to Kaua'i, where no safety classes are currently offered.

SPEEDING COMMON

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,658 motorcyclists in 2006 and that if all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 752 lives could have been saved.

But helmets don't always save a life. Since 2002, 30 motorcyclists on O'ahu have died even though they wore helmets.

The more telling factor may be speed.

Scott Ishikawa of the state Department of Transportation said that since 2002, excessive speed contributed to more than half the fatalities on O'ahu each year, with the exception of 2003.

"Helmets are a big safety factor," HPD's Long said. "It really reduces the chances of dying, but that doesn't mean it always works, not when you're speeding."

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute reported in September that supersport motorcycles — racing bikes modified for the highway — have death rates nearly four times higher than other types of motorcycles.

Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for Emergency Services, said paramedics see a lot of internal injuries in motorcycle crashes, and when high speeds are involved, helmets can only do so much.

"Excessive speed, regardless of how much safety gear you have on, usually is the difference between minor injury versus critical or fatal injuries," Cheplic said.