May is Motorcycle Awareness Month

Help reduce the number of motorcycle and scooter accidents by raising awareness this month.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. This is the perfect opportunity to brush up on your road safety knowledge, and discover some of the things that you can do to reduce the number of car-vs-motorcycle accidents. In 2012, more than 4500 motorcyclists lost their lives on American roads. This number represented 15 percent of all people killed as a result of auto accidents that year.

Motorcycle accidents often happen because drivers simply aren't paying attention. Many car-vs-motorcycle collisions occur because motorcycles are small, and can easily disappear in a car or truck's blind spot.

Motorcyclists can also play an important role in ensuring their safety by ensuring that they're highly visible at all times. Wearing reflecting clothing, signaling when overtaking or making a turn, as well as wearing a helmet can reduce the chances of an accident/ serious injury.

That being said, motorists can also play their part when it comes to protecting motorcyclists on the road.

Tips for car drivers:

- Always be aware of your surroundings. Keep your attention on the road and don't use your mobile phone while driving. Refrain from applying makeup, reading, drinking, eating, or engaging in any activity that takes your attention off of the road. Engaging in these activities will limit your concentration leading to distracted driving and a possible car accident.

- Always signal when you're changing lanes or merging with traffic.

- Even more importantly, always check your blind spots and mirrors extensively before merging or changing lanes. This is something that not enough drivers do, and can easily lead to a tragic accident.

- Give motorcyclists a full lane while driving, regardless of the size of their vehicle.

- Don't follow too closely to a motorcycle. Ideally, you should give motorcyclists a following distance of more than 4 seconds. This will give the both of you enough time to react in case of anything unexpected. It's important to realize that a 2-3 ton car will take much longer to stop than a 400 lb motorcycle.

As read on: http://www.prweb.com/releases/motorcycle/safety/prweb11820691.htm3