If you’re riding a motorcycle in east Ohio, you may see this in your rear view mirror

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WTRF) — If you’re driving a motorcycle in east Ohio, you’ll be under close scrutiny by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

As summer winds down, the St. Clairsville patrol post is stepping up their watchfulness of motorcyclists.

In this district, motorcycle fatalities have almost doubled.

They say 50% of the at-fault drivers in motorcycle crashes have not taken the safety training.

And most of the motorcycle crashes they responded to were either speed or alcohol-related.

So we’re gonna focus starting on Sunday to the end of September on not just enforcement contacts with motorcycles, but education. We’ve had 25 motorcycle crashes this year that resulted in injury, and several of them were alcohol-related. If you’re going to drink and drive, the last thing we want you to do is drive, period, but definitely don’t drive a motorcycle because nothing good comes out of that.”

Lt. Brian McFarland, Post Commander, Ohio State Highway Patrol

Their message is Ride trained and sober.

Trained means taking a safety class so they have their endorsement–basically a driver’s license for motorcyclists.

They say anyone under 18 or with less than one year of experience needs a helmet.

That goes for their passengers as well.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTRF.