LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Keep an eye out for motorcyclists when you’re on the road!
That’s what Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is saying to Michiganders as the state’s riding season kicks off.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared the beginning of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month on May 1st.
The state’s motorcyclist safety outreach program is part of the annual “Look Twice. Safe a Life” campaign, which aims to reduce motorcyclist deaths on the road.
“’It is a golden rule of traffic safety for all drivers — whether on a motorcycle or driving a passenger vehicle — to be mindful of those around them,” Secretary Benson said. “‘Look Twice. Save a Life.’ is more than a slogan. It is a fundamental tenet of safe driving and key to reducing the number of crashes between passenger vehicles and motorcycles.”
From May through September 2021, the most recent reporting period, there were 1,716 recorded crashes between motorcycles and passenger vehicles on Michigan roads. That includes 120 deaths and 407 serious injuries, the highest number for any year on record.
