Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month poster (Source: NHTSA)
May has been proclaimed Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a variety of posters and other materials are available for anyone interested in working to heighten awareness of motorcycles among drivers.
In describing its mission, the NHTSA says, "Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month is a national initiative aimed at getting motorists and other road users and motorcyclists to 'share the road' with each other."
The group offers these suggestions for furthering this campaign.
We encourage local, State, and national organizations to use the following model “Share the Road” language in their motorist awareness programs:
- Road users are reminded to never drive, bike, or walk while distracted. Doing so can result in tragic consequences for motorcyclists.
- A motorcycle has the same rights and privileges as any other vehicle on the roadway.
- Allow the motorcyclist a full lane width. Although it may seem there is enough room in the traffic lane for an automobile and a motorcycle, remember the motorcycle needs the room to maneuver safely. Do not share the lane.
- Motorcycles are small and may be difficult to see. A motorcycle has a much smaller profile than a vehicle, which can make it more difficult to judge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle.
- Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic. This allows the motorcyclist to anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position.
- Remember that a motorcyclist can be hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot or missed in a quick look due to its smaller size. Always make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.
- Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – motorcycle signals may not be self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed.
- Remember that road conditions that are minor annoyances to motorists can pose major hazards to motorcyclists. Motorcycle riders may change speed or adjust position within a lane suddenly in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.
- Allow more following distance -- three or four seconds -- following a motorcycle so the motorcycle rider has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.
The following slideshow presents the four additional posters created for the campaign.
Comments
Neat posters. Hope people pay attention to us.
Yep – they’re tough on the outside and quite capable of acting out on that toughness; however, behind the mask is someone that has been terribly injured, usually by a loved one or someone that is supposed to be safe.
They have learned to build a very thick wall of toughness around them, lest they get wounded again. If you ever make it inside that wall, you’ll find the most gentle, kind and loving people in the world that won’t turn on you, because no one close to you should ever turn on you – they know this first hand – from their own experiences.
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