Road Racing World:

The American Motorcyclist Association is issuing a special appeal during May, which is Motorcycle Awareness Month, to motorists to be aware of their driving environment, check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and watch for motorcyclists.

“With its warmer weather and increased riding, May is an opportune time to educate the non-riding public about the safety issues that motorcyclists face on every outing,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Our hope is that calling special attention to motorcyclists early in the prime riding season will keep motorists on alert through the summer and fall, as well.”

This is a personal plea from me to all of you folks out there who drive cars. Now that spring is here, there will be more motorcyclists on the roads. Please keep an extra cautious eye out for us. I know some motorcyclists act like jerks but they are only a very small minority. The vast majority of us are respectful (and fearful) of car drivers and we just want to enjoy our bikes safely. You can help.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, even though motorcycles account for less than five percent of registered vehicles in the US, “Motorcyclists were more than 26 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash. And “75% of two-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles were motorcyclists colliding with vehicles in front of them. They are more likely to crash with other vehicles turning left, while the motorcycles were going straight, passing, or overtaking passenger vehicles.” So please, use a little extra caution.