{"id":61387,"date":"2015-04-21T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=61387"},"modified":"2015-04-20T20:25:42","modified_gmt":"2015-04-21T00:25:42","slug":"share-the-road-campaign-aims-to-increase-motorcycle-safety-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=61387","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Share the Road\u2019 Campaign Aims to Increase Motorcycle Safety Awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"motorcycles<\/a>May is \u201cMotorcycle Safety Awareness Month\u201d<\/p>\n

(Wampsville, NY \u2013 April 2015) The Madison County Sheriff\u2019s Office reminds motorists and motorcyclists alike during Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month to \u201cshare the road\u201d in order to help prevent motorcycle crashes, deaths and injuries on Madison County roads.<\/p>\n

\u201cMotorcyclists will be out in force as the weather gets warmer, which is why May is the perfect month for Motorcycle Safety Awareness,\u201d said Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley. \u201cSerious and fatal crashes with motorcycles are on the rise, and helmet usage is on the decline. We all need to be more aware of motorcyclists in order to save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2013, 4,668 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes, a decrease from 2012 (4,986). Those deaths account for 14 percent of the total highway fatalities that year, despite motorcycle registrations representing only 3 percent of all vehicles in the United States in 2013.<\/p>\n

Helmet usage remained the same from 2012 to 2013 at 60 percent. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 1,630 lives were saved in 2013 because of proper helmet usage, but another 715 lives could have been saved if helmets had been worn.<\/p>\n

Wearing a helmet is an important way for a motorcyclist to stay safe, but we all play a part.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s up to all motorists and motorcyclists to make our roads safer,\u201d said Riley. \u201cAll road users need to share the responsibility of keeping the roadways safe. By following road signs, obeying speed limits, and always staying focused on the road, deaths could be prevented.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley offered tips to drivers on how to prevent a crash with a motorcycle:<\/p>\n

Though a motorcycle is a small vehicle, its operator still has all the rights of the road as any other motorist. Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.<\/p>\n