In a previous blog I wrote about sharing the road with bicycles, well they aren’t the only two wheeled vehicles on the road that drivers have to watch out for!

A motorcyclist has the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as any other motorist on the roadway. NHTSA statistics show an increase in motorcycle fatalities in recent years: in 2012, 4,927 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes, a continued increase from 2011 (4,630). Those deaths accounted for 15 percent of the total highway fatalities that year, despite motorcycle registrations representing only 3 percent of all vehicles in the United States in 2012. Injured motorcyclists also increased from 81,000 in 2011 to 93,000 in 2012. On a per vehicle mile basis, motorcyclists are more than 26 times more likely to die in a crash than occupants of cars, and five times more likely to be injured.

Here are 6 tips for sharing the road:

Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.

Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.

Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.

Always allow more follow distance – three to four seconds – when behind a motorcycle. This gives them more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.

Never drive distracted or impaired. This includes TEXTING

Motorcycle signals are often non-canceling and could have been forgotten. Always ensure that the motorcycle is turning before proceeding.

Stay tuned for more in this series of sharing the road and as always DRIVE SAFE!!!