Tips for drivers

[gae]

Tips for drivers during Motorcycle Awareness Month

A number of communities across the state of Illinois are proclaiming May as Motorcycle Awareness Month. These communities, along with ABATE of Illinois Inc., recognize motorcyclists have the privilege to share the highways and byways across America.

Throughout the month of May and continuing through the year, the DuKane Chapter of ABATE of Illinois ? A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education ? offers these tips to the driving public to be increase their awareness of motorcyclists.

? Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or rolling off the throttle. Allow more following distance, about three or four seconds.

? Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes quick stopping difficult. Allow a motorcyclist more following distance because it can't always stop "on a dime."

? Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of wind, road debris and passing vehicles. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off.

? Because of its small size, a motorcycle might seem to be moving faster than it really is and may look farther away than it is. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

? A motorcycle can easily be hidden by objects inside or outside a car, such as door posts, mirrors, passengers, bushes, fences, bridges, blind spots, etc. Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you're changing lanes or turning at intersections.

? There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don't "recognize" a motorcycle and ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.

? At night, single headlights and taillights of motorcycles can blend into the lights of other traffic. Those "odd" lights could be a motorcycle.

? When a motorcycle is in motion, don't think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

[LAKE]

Originally posted by gae:

? When a motorcycle is in motion, don't think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I do. My husband was nearly killed when he was 20 years old. He was riding a buddy's bike when some idiot made a left hand turn right in front of him. The doctors were waiting for him to die and were ready to harvest his organs. It's a miracle he lived, let alone recovered back to normal.