Sunny days and warmer weather welcome the onset of Spring, as do herds of happy motorcyclists who are excited to get back on the roads. Flying down the highway with the wind in your face can be a liberating feeling but it's important to remember driving safety tips on how to share the road with other vehicles to avoid a collision.
Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month; it is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This month, we highlight the need to share the road safely with motorcycles. Around 4,976 motorcycle riders and passengers died in crashes in 2015 and 58% of motorcyclists killed were not wearing a helmet (in states without universal helmet laws). The importance of wearing a helmet is enormous as it can buffer the impact from a collision and ultimately save your life. This is why in so many states it is now a law. Nonfatal injuries that year totaled 88,000. Spreading awareness of driving safety can help save lives.
How to Share the Road 101
Sharing the road is an essential part of driving. Looking out for one another by pausing to look both ways before proceeding in a vehicle can prevent a potentially fatal accident, especially with a motorcyclist. Trucks, buses, vans, cars, motorcycles, and bikes are just a few of the vehicles that populate the roads daily. In 2015, there were 2,448 two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and another type of vehicle. With this being said, we've listed several suggestions below to review ways to share the road.
- Always give additional following space, especially at night.
- Be sure to signal lane changes and turns so other vehicles can anticipate your path.
- Check your mirrors and blind spots frequently to be aware of surrounding vehicles.
- Give motorcyclists the whole lane.
- Remember that motorcyclists react quicker than cars.
- Drive very carefully in inclement weather.
- Pause for an extra two seconds at intersections.
- Stay in your lane.
We all have places to go, meetings to attend and dates to make but it's not worth the risk when our lives and the lives of other drivers are at stake. Taking the extra precaution to communicate your intentions with other drivers and motorcyclists on the road will save you time, money, and possibly your life. In recognition of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, Glass America would like to thank you for doing your part to make the roads a safer place!