May is motorcycle safety awareness month and Alliance Insurance Services is helping to spread the word to riders. They want all motorcyclists to be safe and prepared.
“Motorcycles only make up about 3% of vehicles that are on the road, but unfortunately they account for 13% of all people killed in traffic accidents,” said Christopher Cook, owner of Alliance Insurance Services. “That’s why it’s important for all of us to be mindful of safe driving practices.”
A special month for awareness is also important because of the myths that exist about motorcycles. For example, young people are not the only ones riding on two wheels. In fact, 36% of all motorcycle riders are age 50 and older. Another myth is that rural roads are safer than highways, so that safety gear and defensive driving are not essential.
“That’s just not the case,” said Cook. “The truth is that 91% of accidents between passenger vehicles and motorcyclists happened on country or urban roads, making highways astoundingly safe by comparison.”
Regardless of age or roads travel, safety is essential. In that regard, Alliance and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation offered five tips for cyclists to keep in mind:
1. Be visible. Motorists often have trouble seeing motorcycles, so wear bright clothing and a light-colored helmet. Always have headlights on, day and night, and avoid riding in blind spots of cars and trucks. If possible, flash brake lights when slowing down and before stopping.
2. Pretend you are invisible. If you assume others on the road can’t see you, and that any car can hit you, you will tend to ride in a hyper-aware mindset and learn to notice every detail in your surroundings. Take extra responsibility for your safety and ride defensively.
3. Gear up on every ride. Wear proper riding gear from head to toe, including full-face helmets which provide the best protection. Also wear jackets, pants, gloves, and boots that are made especially for riding because they will generally be made of abrasion-resistant material, including protective armor. They also provide additional comfort.
4. Use good street strategies. Constantly search the road for changing conditions and use the Search-Evaluate-Execute strategy (SEE) to assess and respond to hazards before you must react to an emergency.
5. Before riding, inspect the bike. Make a habit of conducting a pre-ride check, which includes looking over tires and wheels.
The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Plan said that in 2022 there were 237 motorcycle rider fatalities in North Carolina which was a 3% increase over the previous year.
“Despite improvements, the five-year average suggests a slight rise in motorcycle ride fatalities over the past decade,” the group said. The number of fatalities in 2022 was the highest level in a decade. In 2017 the number was its lowest at 176 fatalities followed by 190 in 2020.
“Motorcycles are not equipped with the same level of occupant protection as passenger vehicles. As a result, crashes involving motorcycles are more likely to result in death or injury when compared to crashes involving passenger vehicles,” their report said.
The report found, “The percentage of fatally injured riders that were unhelmeted has remained consistently low over the last decade. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated the high rate of helmet use in North Carolina resulting from the Universal Helmet Law saves approximately 100 lives each year.”
From 2017 to 2021 there were eight motorcycle fatalities reported in Surry County (ranked 45 out of 100), Stokes County had four (rank 66), Yadkin County had one (rank 95), Alleghany had two (rank 79), and Wilkes County had the most at 11 (rank 32).
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