It’s Motorcycle Awareness Month

The warm weather is here and it's time to take special care while driving.

When I see a motorcyclist on the road I try to give them some extra space. Do you know what this costs me? Absolutely nothing, I respect the rider. I respect the fact they are saving gas (over a car). I respect that they have a place on the road.

The fact is that most motorcycle crashes are caused by other drivers.  "I did not see him" is not a valid excuse. If you "didn't see him" then you really didn't look. As it says in the link above, they're not invisible. Anyways, having a "good excuse" doesn't save lives and it won't save you from being haunted your entire life because you killed someone.

It all comes down to paying attention which is something you should be doing anyway. There is NOTHING on your phone worth taking a life for. Whatever urgent news you're receiving can wait until you stop.

Extra special attention should be paid at intersections. One of the most common accidents is cars that make a left turn that "did not see" a motorcyclist coming.  Then there are the folks who merge into motorcyclists sometimes hitting them outright and other times forcing them into a curb, car, or another vehicle. These things are completely avoidable.

Motorcycle riding is one of the most exhilarating things that you can do. Even mundane trips are fun when they are taken on a motorcycle. We should be celebrating with the riders and respecting their rights on the road. Be safe out there and look twice for motorcycles.