Motorcycle Safety Month in Kentucky

 The Jenkins Law Firm is pleased to join state and federal officials in recognizing May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

There were 4,612 fatal motorcycle accidents in Kentucky and nationally in 2011. That accounted for 14 percent of all traffic deaths for the year.

“Motorcyclists are 30 times more likely to die in a crash than passenger vehicle occupants,” Bill Bell, director of the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety told the Louisville Courier-Journal.

The motorcycle death count in Kentucky unfortunately rose by two recently, when a pair of motorcyclists died in separate wrecks in Louisville:

• A 62-year-old man was killed in Jefferson County shortly before midnight May 1 when a Nissan Altima crossed the centerline and hit the motorcyclist head-on, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. A female passenger on the motorcycle was injured and taken to the hospital. The driver of the car was charged with murder, assault, wanton endangerment, criminal mischief, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license.
• A 23-year-old motorcyclist died May 2 when he lost control of his motorcycle and ran off the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene on Triplett Drive shortly after 2:30 AM, the Courier-Journal reported.

Five Motorcycle Courtesy Tips

1. Don’t crowd the lanes. Always allow motorcyclists a full lane width.
2. Look closely. Check mirrors and blind spots at intersections and when entering or exiting a lane of traffic. Motorcycles can be hard to spot.
3. Use your signals. Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic.
4. Don’t rely on a flashing turn signal. Sometimes motorcycle signals are not self-canceling. Other times, riders forget to turn them off.
5. Don’t follow too closely. Allow three or four seconds when trailing a motorcycle. This gives the motorcyclist time to maneuver around obstacles in the roadway or stop in an emer­gency.

Motorcyclists can reduce their risks of a Kentucky motorcycle accident by wearing a helmet, using turn signals, wearing brightly colored protective gear and using reflective tape.

Sources:

Louisville Courier-Journal http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130502/NEWS01/305020093/Highway-officials-urge-caution-during-Motorcycle-Safety-Awareness-Month?nclick_check=1

Louisville Courier-Journal http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130502/NEWS01/305020050/Man-charged-murder-one-two-fatal-motorcycle-accidents-Louisville