It’s been a few years since I wrote about May Motorcycle Awareness month. It seems
redundant to keep going over the same safety information year after year, but I have
noticed many new riders coming into the shop, so I thought I would revisit this important
topic. By the way, WELCOME new riders!
I looked up some statistics before sitting down to write this up. I know, statistics can be
boring, but they do shed a light on why it is important to review safety with riding. I
googled state by state comparison of motorcycle accidents. An article came up from
Lawbike.com In a nutshell, over a nine-year period (2013 – 2022) Missouri ranked in the
top ten of the most dangerous states for motorcycle riders (if you want details the web
address is HERE.
While statistics do show that most accidents involve other vehicles, there is still a
significant amount of accidents that are rider error. There are safety precautions we can
take as riders to decrease our own personal risk.
- Wear proper riding gear from your toes (boots) to your head (helmet).
- Dress for the weather which often means layering from a t-shirt to a leather.
- Raingear; riding gloves; neck gear; sunscreen
- Know your limits, are you tired? Don’t ride. Did you drink too much? Don’t ride.
- Drive defensively, be fully aware of your surroundings
- Left hand turns seem to be the worst; be extra cautious at intersections
- Properly maintain your motorcycle (we can help you with this)
I plan on putting some motorcycle awareness information on Facebook every Monday
for the month of May. Please share on all your social media platforms. Let’s get the
word out! Missouri Department of Transportation has some good materials also HERE.
May 17th is our annual Blessing of the Bikes which is always a great way to prepare for a
lovely riding season. The next day is our 8 th annual Lincoln County Ride for Suicide
Awareness. I mention this because during this event we stress the importance of self-
care. Riding a motorcycle is one of the most enjoyable ways to take care of ourselves!
Blessings, Peace Out Reine