May Is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month In Louisiana

A beautiful spring day, the open road, the wind in your face and  some jackwagon not looking where he's going. That could not only spoil a great day on the back of your bike, it could be deadly. May is motorcycle safety awareness month and it's a good time for riders of bikes and drivers of cars to take a few minutes and remember the rules of the road and good old fashioned common courtesy.

Motorcycle riders are 30 times more likely to die in a crash compared to drivers of cars. The reasons are pretty obvious. A car driver has all that sheet metal surrounding him. A motorcycle rider has a helmet and maybe some protective clothing. What a lot of car drivers don't realize is that motorcyclist have the same rights on the roadways as they do.Just because the vehicle is smaller doesn't mean it doesn't matter

One of the leading causes of motorcycle crashes is negligent automobile drivers. Motorcycles are smaller and harder to see and quite often a car will simply pull into the path of oncoming motorcycle. That is a deadly combination. That's why so many of today's motorcycles feature automatic headlights, and even  pulsating lights that are designed to attract attention.

Another way motorcyclist suffer great injury and death is by riding impaired. Just like driving a car while intoxicated it's against the law and on the back of a bike it could be fatal. Even though motorcycles are responsible for about 1% of the motor vehicle crashes in our state, they are responsible for 14% of fatalities.

The weather is nice and it's great for riding. Just remember to pack your common sense on the back of that bike and be on the lookout for cars who aren't looking out for you.