May is the Month For Motorcyle Safety in San Francisco, California

Arnold Schwarzenegger has proclaimed May 2009 as “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.” This bit of information was brought to our attention from an article in the San Francisco Examiner. The article states: An increase in motorcycle use by inexperienced riders is being blamed for the bump in accidents involving the two-wheeled vehicles on city streets. It further points out that there has also been an increase in motorcycle accidents during the past several years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has, as part of its safety campaign, declared that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. On a national level, according to NHTSA’s statistics, motorcycle accident injuries and deaths have been on the rise since the late 1990’s. Also according to the NHTSA, the majority of fatal motorcycle accidents happen on non-interstate roads. And statistics from the Department of Motor vehicles reveal motorcycle registration in San Francisco went from 17,611 to 19,417 from 2004-2007. This increase of motorcycle use can explain the rise in accidents-since most new riders are usually inexperienced.
The real problem here is not that too many motorcycles make our roads unsafe but rather that too many inexperienced riders make our roads unsafe. So, just as Arnold Schwarzenegger points out, every person who gets on a motorcycle needs to take the proper steps to stay safe. As part of his proclamation he shares that our state offers the California Motorcyclist Safety Program, which has trained many inexperienced motorcycle riders. Here at the Brod Law Firm, we would like to share with our readers additional information, provided by NHTSA, for motorists and motorcyclists to help motorcycle riders stay safe. Some safety tips for motorists are:
1. Respect motorcyclists-remember that motorcyclists have the same rights and privileges as other vehicles on the road;
2. Look out for motorcyclists on the highway when entering or leaving a lane;
3. Anticiapte a motorcyclists maneuvers.
4. Allow plenty of space when following a morocycle.
Some tips for motorcyclists are:
1. Make yourself visible and clearly signal before changing lanes,
2. Use lane positioning to your advantage to use provide extra space for emergency braking situations or avoidance maneuvers,
3. Never share a lane with a care or weave between lanes.
4. Always wear protective gear.

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