Accident avoidance tips offered in honor of Motorcycle Safety Month
Motorcyclists are approximately 37 times more likely to be killed in a traffic collision than drivers and passengers in automobiles, according to a per mile comparison compiled by the National Safety Council based on 2007 accident statistics in the United States. During the 10 year period between 1998 and 2008, fatal accidents involving both motorcycles and passenger vehicles increased by 131 percent, National Safety Council statistics indicate. The month of May has been declared Motor Cycle Safety Awareness Month in an effort to increase public knowledge of the dangers inherent in motorcycle travel and encourage bikers and drivers to take steps to share the road more safely. According to safety tips provided by the National Safety Council, motorcyclists should limit or altogether cease motorcycle travel in inclement or hazardous weather conditions. Motorists should avoid sharing lanes with motorcycles and take extra precautions at intersections to ensure that a motorcycle is not approaching from any direction. The majority of traffic collisions involving motorcycles are caused because the driver makes an improper left turn because he or she did not see the motorcycle approaching before the moment of impact. Drivers should allow for extra following distance when behind a motorcycle on the roadway. Motorcyclists should avoid riding in the blind spots of passenger vehicles when at all possible, and signal their intent to make a turn or change lanes. Drivers should check their mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes.
