Ravenna – Portage County Safe Communities, a program of Portage County Health District, reminds all vehicle drivers and all motorcycle riders to “share the road.”
Motorcycle crashes involving another motor vehicle continue accounting for nearly half of all motorcyclist fatalities in the United States. Motorcyclists are inherently at more risk than motor vehicles – lacking many of the same safety features of automobiles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), statistically motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in a crash than other motorists.
Motorcyclists are at great risks on our roadways. With thousands of traffic-related deaths each year, motorcyclists are significantly over-represented in crashes and fatalities. The smallest momentary lapse in a vehicle driver’s awareness can result in the death of an unseen motorcyclist.
Although the motorcycle is much smaller than most vehicles, its operator still has the same rights of the road as all other motorists. Drivers can easily overlook a motorcycle due to their size and visibility – look twice in your mirrors for blind spots. Drivers should always allow extra following distance, allow a motorcycle the full width of a lane, and use signals every time you’re changing lanes or turning.
Riders should always wear a Department of Transportation-compliant helmet – just like motorists wearing seat belts, using a helmet can drastically increase survival rates in the event of a crash. Riders should also be properly licensed; use hand and turn signals at every lane change or turn; wear brightly colored clothes and reflective tape to increase visibility; and ride in the middle of the lane where you will be more visible to drivers.
Riders and drivers should obey all traffic laws and never drive distracted or impaired.
For more information visit www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/motorcycles.
