CALIFORNIA, USA — Multiple fatal crashes involving motorcyclists have hit the Northern California region and officials are offering the reminder to share the road and stay safe.
In the last week alone, two crashes in Modesto killed motorcyclists, a crash in Antelope killed a man and a crash in Fairfield left a motorcyclist hospitalized with life threatening injuries.
May was Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month but as the air starts to warm, more people get on the roads to travel and enjoy the weather.
Experts say there are a handful of things all motorists can do to keep roads safe and potentially avoid these kinds of accidents.
"Distracted driving is always going to take people's eyes off the road," said Citrus Heights Traffic Sergeant Kane Kissam. "Just be on the lookout."
He says he's seen his fair share of motorcycle involved accidents, the leading cause of which was distracted driving or a "right of way violation."
"Either somebody's turning in front of a motorcycle, or failing to stop at an intersection and the motorcycle has the right of way," said Kissam, adding there are a lot of other causes but this is the most common. "We ask that people just be extra wary that motorcyclists are out there and look twice."
Tips to prevent a crash:
- Be alert, focused on driving and your surroundings
- Make complete stops
- Look twice before turning, merging, moving from a stop
- Use your mirrors, check your blind spots
- Use your blinkers
- Share the road
"Sharing the road just means knowing that you're not the only ones out there and there will be some who are much smaller than you and much harder to recognize," said Lee Parks, owner of Total Control Training a company that trains motorcyclists on safety. "[They're] very easy to get lost in the shuffle, through no fault of anyone."
Other tips for motorcycle safety:
- Don't speed, follow the rules of the road
- Wear gear — helmets, gloves, pants, boots, etc.
- Stay visible in lanes by wearing bright colored and/or reflective gear and staying out of blind spots when possible
- Always have multiple escape/exit routes from your position
- Take training courses. Parks says, "learning is a lifelong process, so no matter how much training you've done, or not done, how much experience you've had, there's always something more to learn as technology changes."
Ultimately, data shows using these tips and additional training is helping to reduce motorcycle deaths. While motorcycles will never be as safe as cars, working to minimize danger will benefit everyone on the road.