Look Twice, Save A Life – We Need This Kind of Effort Nationwide to Protect Bikers On American Roads

Motorcyclists are well aware of the dangers of riding on the open road – we’ve heard about them and seen the results all our lives.

As bikers, we know about helmet safety, wearing reflective clothing, and safe lane sharing. We’re also well aware that even when we take all the necessary safety precautions, motorists still fail to see us on the road.

The California Highway Patrol knows all about it too, and for the last two years, a motorcycle safety campaign they sponsored has been dedicated to increasing California drivers’ awareness of motorcyclists on the road with them.

The federally funded safety campaign, “Look Twice, Save a Life”, was begun to help reduce the number of fatal California motorcycle accidents. Based on  preliminary 2010 numbers, it’s been an unqualified success. The number of fatal collisions involving  motorcyclists decreased by 9%,  and injuries to motorcyclists decreased 8.5%, and those numbers are significant.

The California motorcycle safety campaign is coming to a close, and CHP officials say they hope the message will remain.

We’d like to see this kind of campaign instituted throughout the country, not just in California.

Being aware of a motorcyclist’s presence on the road is the first step towards preventing catastrophic and serious motorcycle accidents, and motorcyclists can be particularly difficult to see in traffic, at night, and during bad weather. Riding through bridges, tunnels, and intersections often creates situations where motorcyclists are overlooked and leads to serious and often fatal crashes, and every effort made to reduce those accidents is a step in the right direction.

One very important thing you can do to decrease your chances of being involved in a serious motorcycle accident?

Consider signing up for a Motorcyclist Safety Program before you hit the road, and if you’re already out there and covered with road dust and have many miles in your wake, sign up for a refresher skills course. Both basic courses for new riders and more comprehensive programs for experienced riders are out there, and they’re not hard to find.

You can find a list of motorcycle rider and safety courses offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation here….

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.