Weekly Safety Topic – Motorcycle Safety Awareness

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Motorcyclists have all the same rights and privileges as any motor vehicle driver on the roadway. During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and during the rest of the year, drivers of all other vehicles and all road users are reminded to safely “share the road” with motorcyclists, and to be extra alert to help keep motorcyclists safe.

Ten Quick Tips All Car & Truck Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles

1. Over half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Most of the time, the car or truck driver, not the motorcyclist, is at fault. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don’t “recognize” a motorcycle – they ignore it (usually unintentionally).
2. Because of its narrow profile, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots like door or roof pillars. Take an extra moment to look for motorcycles, whether you are changing lanes or turning at intersections.
3. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.
4. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say 3 or 4 seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.
5. Motorcyclists may adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind… Look twice if you saw them once and now you don’t… they may have just changed positions.
6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change.
7. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle’s better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don’t expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.
8. Stopping distance for motorcycles can be a little shorter than a car, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because you can’t always stop “on a dime.”
9. Always see more than just a motorcycle – see the person under the helmet, who could be your friend, neighbor, or relative.
10. If a driver crashes into a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian and causes serious injury, the driver would likely never forgive himself/herself.

Few facts for those who ride:

• On average just under 5,000 motorcyclists are killed each year… and it continues to increase close to 10% over the last three years.
• Motorcycle helmets do not interfere with the rider’s vision or hearing and the use of DOT-compliant helmets by riders is around 60%
• Alcohol plays a particularly big role in motorcycle fatalities affecting the two main skills essential to riding a motorcycle – balance and coordination. So Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over.