May is Motorcycle Awareness Month! Stay safe out there!
May
is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Washington and across the
country. During this month, 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. Motorcyclists are
reminded to obey traffic laws, wear DOT-compliant helmets and protective
gear, and make themselves visible by wearing bright colors and using
reflective tape.
Most of the talking points for Safety
Awareness Month are directed towards non-riders and how they can help
keep motorcyclists safer by sharing lanes, checking mirrors and blind
spots, always using signals, and keeping a greater following distance.
But it is important for motorcyclists to take full accountability for
riding safely too. We at Eagle Leather love riding and all the freedom
and excitement that comes with it. But we are also conscientious when it
comes to spreading the importance of safe riding.
Take a look at these troubling statistics from 2011:
Use of DOT-compliant helmets in decreased from 66% in 2011 to 60% in 2012.
In 2011, 30% of all fatally injured motorcycle riders had BAC levels of 0.08 or higher, over the legal limit
An additional 7% had BAC levels between 0.01 and 0.07.
In
2011, 60% of fatally injured motorcycle riders and 49% of fatally
injured motorcycle passengers were not wearing their helmet at the time
of the crash.
In 2011, 22% of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were riding with an invalid license.
The NHTSA estimates that helmet-use saved the lives of over 1,600 riders in 2011.
An additional 700+ lives could have been saved if all motorcyclists wore helmets.
Motorcyclists can increase their levels of safety by:
Avoid riding in extremely poor weather conditions
Wear brightly colored protective gear and a DOT-compliant helmet
Use turn signals for every turn or lane change, even if the rider thinks no one will see it
Combine hand signals and turn signals to draw more attention to themselves
Use reflective tape and stickers to increase conspicuit
Position themselves in the lane where they will be most visible to other drivers
Never drive while impaired
For more useful tips like the ones above, check out Mike’s Safety Tip each week in the Eagle Leather Newsletter.
Increasing
safe riding and cooperation between all road users will help to reduce
the number of fatalities and injuries on our nation’s highways. We’re
glad that Motorcycle Awareness Month exists to educate drivers about
motorcycles on the road, but remember that you are responsible for your
safety as well!
What do you think? Does Motorcycle Safety
Awareness Month really make non-riders pay more attention to
motorcyclists? We want to hear what you think on the Eagle Leather Facebook Page!
Yet, there’s no denying it: Unless you plan to ride exclusively around the Southern United States, you’ll face some chilly winters. And even before it...
Stay safe out there!
