May is Motorcycle Safety Month – Save a life: Be aware of motorcycles

Spring is in the air, and more motorcyclists than ever are on the road. But highway crashes continue to claim the lives of about 5,000 motorcyclists every year.

Collisions involving motorcycles lead to injury and death approximately 80 percent of the time, according to Ride Safe.

For motorcyclists, staying sober is the key to staying safe. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 30 percent of bikers involved in a fatal crash had alcohol in their system.

For drivers, the key to avoiding a horrific collision with a motorcyclist is to stay aware.

That’s easier said than done because while drivers are often aware of other cars, they might see a motorcycle but not remain aware.

Among the types of accidents:

• Car doors: Most states have dooring laws. These laws make it the responsibility of the car driver to look for oncoming traffic before opening the car door. If you open your car door into bicycle or motorcycle traffic, you can set up a potentially fatal accident. There is no way bikers, or even pedestrians, can get out of the way in time.
• Lane switching: When cars change lanes in traffic, motorcyclists are at their most vulnerable. Blind spots in cars make it difficult to see a narrow motorcycle. Motorcyclists have to be keenly aware of this danger, and drivers do too. A quick glance in the mirror might not tell you everything you need to know about traffic.
• Intersections: One of the most deadly locations for car-motorcycle collisions, these accidents usually involve failure to yield the right of way to a motorcycle.

In addition, motorcyclists have a responsibility to ride safely. They should keep weather conditions in mind. Riding in a rainstorm is dangerous, and riding with lightning can be fatal.
Motorcyclists should also keep road conditions in mind. Construction, road debris, cracks, and uneven pavement all cause accidents.