KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people to be cooped up over the last several weeks, however, as the weather continues to warm up there could be many more motorcycles on the roads.
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety want to remind drivers to keep an eye out for motorcycles to help prevent crashes, deaths and injuries.
This is all part of the “Watch for Motorcycles” awareness campaign that will run through the month of May and on the holidays in the summer.
According to Jon Nelson, MoDOT assistant to the state highway safety and traffic engineer, 15% of Missouri traffic fatalities involved a motorcycle in 2019, with 120 motorcyclist lives lost.
To lower that number, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers tips to drivers on how to prevent crashes with motorcycles:
- Give motorcycles the full width of the lane
- Signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic
- Check mirrors and blind spots
- Never drive distracted or impaired
Motorcyclists can increase their safety by utilizing these steps:
- Wear a helmet and other protective gear
- Obey traffic laws and be licensed and trained
- Wear brightly colored clothing and reflective tape to increase visibility
- Ride in middle of lane to be more visible
- Don’t ride distracted or impaired
Motorcyclists should also be cautious of their surroundings.
Riders should also complete the necessary training before getting out on the road.
More information about that training can be found here.
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Source: KTVO