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Motorcycle Safety Month Off To Bad Start

By | Wednesday, May 2, 2007, 04:33 PM

A 37-year-old Delray Beach man is killed when his Yamaha motorcycle collides with a car in Boca Raton. He was reportedly riding erratically before the crash.

A 24-year-old Boynton Beach man is hauled to jail after being charged with reckless driving. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper clocked him doing 116 mph on his Buell sport bike on I-95.

Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month is off to a bad start in Palm Beach County.

The Florida Department of Transportation’s safety office is joining other federal, state and local agencies in urging motorists to “Share the Road” with motorcyclists during May.

“Motorcycles are often difficult to see, so people in other vehicles need to really look out for them,” said Marianne Trussell, the DOT’s chief safety officer.

Motorcyclist deaths from traffic crashes have gone up in each of the last eight years. In 2005, 4,553 bikers were killed. That’s one out of every 10 highway fatalities.

Obviously, motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than other drivers in a crash, Florida Highway Patrol Col. Chris Knight said. Research shows that 80 percent of motorcycle crashes kill or injure the rider, while only 20 percent of car crashes kill or injure the driver or a passenger.

So here’s some tips for motorcyclists to consider:

Never ride between lanes of slow-moving or stopped traffic.

Position yourself to be seen by other drivers.

Signal before changing lanes or merging with traffic.

Wear protective gear, especially a helmet.

And, so motorists don’t feel left out, here’s some tips for you:

Always allow motorcycles the full lane; don’t try to share a lane.

Check blind spots for motorcycles at intersections and when entering or leaving traffic.

Road conditions that are minor annoyances for drivers can pose a major hazard to motorcyclists

And when following a motorcycle, make sure the motorcyclist has enough room to maneuver or stop in an emergency.

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