440 Motorcyclists Died Last Year - Officials say “Share the Road”
FLORIDA – RNRF viewers know all too well, the number of serious injury and often fatal motorcycle accidents we have the unpleasant task of reporting. Last year, there were nearly 10,000 motorcycle crashes in Florida, resulting in 9,800 injuries and 440 deaths, according to State Officials.
When we post notice of these tragic accidents, it always leads to angry viewer comments and heated debate over who was responsible for the accident. Motorcyclists almost always blame the “cager” a term used to describe a passenger vehicle, and “cagers” usually say it was the reckless biker’s fault.
Rather than lay blame on one side or the other, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Department of Transportation have begun a new campaign designed to provide helpful information for both drivers and riders.
May is now recognized as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and officials are asking everyone to Share the Road, in an effort to reduce the number of death and serious injury accidents.
The DHSMV and FDOT have provided the following helpful tips for motorcyclists and motorists:
Tips for motorcyclists:
- Make yourself more visible to motorists: Wear bright colors.
- Always wear safety gear.
- Train regularly.
- Stay out of blind spots, especially around large trucks. The smaller the vehicle, the more difficult it is for truck drivers to see it.
- Obey the speed limit. Twenty percent of speed-related motorcycle crashes (46) in 2014 resulted in a fatality.
- Always drive sober.
- Inspect your motorcycle before each ride to ensure your safety by having it in good working order.
Reducing the number of motorcycle-involved crashes goes beyond training and prevention on the part of the motorcyclist. Motorcycles are vehicles with the same rights and privileges as any motor vehicle on the roadway.
Tips for drivers:
- Always allow a motorcyclist the full lane width; never try to share a lane.
- Check for motorcycles by looking in your mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections. Remain extra vigilant when entering or crossing intersections. In 2014, 15 percent (66) fatal motorcycle-involved crashes occurred within an intersection.
- Do not tailgate. Allow more following distance when following a motorcycle, so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.
- Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and mind on driving - don’t drive distracted.
- Always drive sober.
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Ths s a great dea.
Thank you for postng ths artcle, Tom Lemon!
I’m not tryng to wsh any bad luck upon nobody, but some of these motorcyclst can TONE IT DOWN a taste. What I mean, the ones that does the HOT-Doggng stunts, rdng between vehcles at a hgh rate of speed. It’s not a law to rde, t’s a prvlege. STOP clownng around on these motorcycles & rde wth a lttle more common sense & maybe we can cut down on some these accdents especally nvolvng deaths. To Add; Where are the CAMPAIGNS at for stuatons lkes. We need more
Some of these car drvers can tone t down too… and maybe thnk about ther route before gettng on the road… How many tmes have I been almost ht by an dot who cuts across three lanes of traffc, at the last mnute, to get off at an ext nstead of just watng for the next ext? Too many to count, that’s why I have a GoPro to capture all these dots n the act
Rhollyjr well sad. I’ve been on many scenes nvolvng motorcycles and also wtness the wreck less drvng of many motorcyclst I guess when your on a bke you have the need to speed and go between cars n traffc and weave n and out just to get to the lght as I pull up next to you. So ya most these accdents are caused by the motorcyclst drvng lke they’re the only ones on the road.
Great nformaton n ths artcle. Many of you that have seen me post know that I drve a motorcycle and am a hugh advocate for rders. But most of you mss that I am even a bgger Advocate for safer drvng by ALL motorst. I have drven almost every type of vehcle known to man Motorcycles, Cars, Trucks, 18 wheelers to name the top 4 we share the roads wth, and they all blame each other for ther accdents. Here s the truth of the matter and s a very hard pll to swallow, YOU are responsble for YOU. Take a defensve drvng course and learn what YOUR responsblty behnd the wheel s all about. In every accdent or ncdent on the road there are factors that all nvolved dd to lead to the accdent. I am not talkng about FAULT, so please don’t gve me the wasn’t tcketed argument. Professonals who job t s to analyss accdents and ncdents do what s called a “Root Cause Analyss” whch s not to assgn fault but s to fnd all the factors n an accdent to better mprove tranng and laws we all drve under. It s bascally lke peelng back an onon to get to the center. I am only tellng you all ths to help you better understand that everyone can mprove ther drvng and YOU must worry about YOU. If you focus on you becomng and better drver at least half the problem s solved. One of the best thngs you can do for you and your loved ones s to google defensve drvng technques, learn them, and practce them untl they become a habt.
People have no respect for bkers. I also beleve that the helmet law should come back nto law. And everyone s n a hurry today, even f t s just to get to the next red lght. SLOW DOWN PEOPLE!!!
We don’t need a helmet law; t’s just as rdculous as seat belt laws. Please protect me from myself because I’m too stupd and need the government to tell me what to do…
After havng a woman run a stop sgn and beng n the Surgcal ICU for 14 days an then another 5 n the ICU at Bayonet Hosp., unless you want to be an ORGAN DONOR WEAR A FULL FACE HELMET. As far as the government beng nvolved t would save more lves and n the end your loved ones are the people that get ther hearts broken. CELL PHONES need to be put down and the use of them n a vehcle aganst the LAW! (No one s that mportant to call or text whle drvng) GET OFF THE ROAD to USE THEM! Please PAY ATTENTION follow the traffc laws at STOP SIGNS and Traffc Lghts and other traffc sgns. Keep your eyes on the road, everyone. Car and Trucks are the SIZE of a TANK compared to the TWO Wheeled or Pedestrans. My accdent was so bad t made t on here. http://www.rnrfonlne.com/motorcycle-down-commercal-way-and-pacfc-ave-2/
OMG not wearng a helmet s a choce. Each rder has an ndvdual decson to wear or not to wear. You can thank Hernando county resdent and former state reprsenatve Dave Russell he sngle handedly passed the no helmet law. He also owns Russell’s pool servce center on sprnghll Dr.
I’m a lfe long rder. People…please just do me one favour that wll save many lves…please please stay off your cell phones whle drvng!!!
Hey ya’ll, I have no remorse for some of these cycle bker peoples, Ya’ll thnk t’s 100% to fly 200mph yonder? or tryng to cut off these people who makes meat and bread tme to tme? I thank t’s the trker bker people who does t wrong when they cut n and out of the peoples and try to blame t on the peoples. Cant see ya’ll lttle cyclers people f your dong 1 trllon mles per second! I reckon we calm t down and slow the lttle 2 strokes to a 1 strokes. ya’ll have a beautful days
Wow after tryng to read and understand your stupdty Please put a sgn on your vehcle so motorcycles and others to steer clear of you.