Motorcycle Accidents

Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. As the weather begins to warm up here in Pennsylvania, we begin to hear the rumble and roar of motorcycles as they parade down our highways. So we’d like to take a moment to share an important message from our friends at the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) by reminding everyone that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in the state.

During this month, ABATE encourages motorists and motorcycles to share the road safely and to “Look Twice to Save A Life.” When you see lawn signs that read “Watch for Motorcycles,” those have been placed by ABATE to help bring motorcycle safety and awareness to the forefront of everyone’s attention.

Earlier this month, Governor Tom Corbett proclaimed May at Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and said, “If car, truck and motorcycle operators follow simple steps like looking out for each other and obeying speed limits, we can work together to reduce the number of crashes and highway deaths we see each year.”

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and motorists across the country are urged to drive distraction free.

In a news release from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said, “Driving is a serious job the requires your full attention, all of the time. Distractions come in all forms, and we all need to take personal responsibility for our actions behind the wheel — that includes avoiding distractions.”

Some examples of distractions includes:

talking on a cell phone or texting
eating
grooming
adjusting devices such as radios and GPSs
attending to children or pets
interacting with other passengers in the vehicle

It’s especially important for young, inexperienced drivers to avoid distractions, as they can increase the risk of a crash. In 2012, more than 14,600 crashes involved distracted driving with 57 deaths in those crashes. Last March, a state law went into effect that bans text-based communication while driving, with a $50 fine for violating the law.
PennDOT offers some safety tips for avoiding distracted driving:

Store or turn off cell phones while driving. If you must make an emergency call, safely pull over to the side of the road.
If traveling alone, set your GPS, radio and temperature controls before hitting the road.
If traveling with pets, be sure that they are properly restrained. Better yet, leave them at home. Even a minor crash can result in a major injury to a pet if it is not properly restrained.
Never operate your vehicle and attend to a child at the same time.
If you drop an object while driving, leave it until you reach your destination.

Articles Posted in Motorcycle Accidents

May Is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

April Is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month