May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, a month when many states educate the motoring public on looking out for motorcycles and how to safely share the road with them.
This makes sense as now the weather is getting warmer and more motorcyclists are taking to the road. Motorists have not had to deal with many motorcycles during the winter in much of the nation. However, we should use this opportunity to educate ourselves and make motorcyclists aware of how we can be safer on the road too.
It was nice to see the lighted LED sign on Route 9 yesterday (April 30) urging drivers to look out for motorcyclists. We should take this opportunity to remind ourselves of some sobering statistics. According to the NHTSA, in 2013*, 28% of motorcyclists fatally injured had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08. That’s closing in on one third and it doesn’t include those riders who had a few beers and had less than the legal limit. We know that any alcohol in our systems, even within legal limits, impairs us to some degree. Don’t drink and ride.
One quarter of motorcycle fatalities involved motorcyclists without a valid license with a motorcycle endorsement. Get licensed if you are not already. In many states (including NJ), you can take a basic rider safety course and upon successful completion, get your motorcycle endorsement.
This brings me to my next point. Why don’t we embrace the spirit of the month and make ourselves better riders. Sign up for an experienced rider course and refresh your skills. I have signed up for an Experienced Rider Course already myself, even though it isn’t until the fall. (They fill up quick.) I plan to make it a yearly thing, like changing the batteries in my smoke detector when I change the clock.
Finally, if you have a place to put it, consider getting a “Look Twice Save a Life” sign. You can get them from Abate of the Garden State for $5, which includes the metal stakes/stand. This is at ABATE’s cost to print them and they pass it on to you with $0 mark up. If you want one, contact Joseph Smith at Joe@PeachCountryTractor.com.
Ride Safe!
*All statistics taken from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) website at http://www.nhtsa.gov and are for the year 2013.
