As the weather gets warmer, it is more and more tempting to break out the helmet and take a ride on the motorcycle that’s been sitting in your garage all winter.
While you start prepping your spring and summer road trips, it’s always a good idea to get a refresh on safety tips while you are on the road.
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This doesn’t only apply to motorcyclists. This also applies to our four-wheeled friends sharing the road.
The United State Department of Transportation reported 5,014 motorcyclist deaths in 2019. Of riders who were killed, 29% were under the influence.
More than 7,700 motorcycle-vehicle crashes occurred in Michigan from 2015-2019. According to the state of Michigan, most crashes with motorcyclists happen when vehicle drivers are turning left.
‘Motorcyclists are hard to see. Look twice. Save a life.’
The state’s Look Twice campaign urges drivers to “Look twice, save a life.” With this campaign, the state found that 84% of motorcycle-vehicle crashes happen on streets, not highways. The campaign also mentions that intersections are one of the biggest dangers for motorcyclists. No matter what, drivers should keep checking blind spots, and don’t always rely on just your ears.
Another critical thing to know when sharing the road with motorcyclists is their signals. Not only do they use their turn signal lights, but motorcyclists will use their hands as signals to allow other drivers to know their intentions.
Click here to view the 2015-2020 Motorcycle-Vehicle Crash Map
Are helmets required for those riding in Michigan?
When it comes to riding a motorcycle in different states, there are different laws -- for instance, wearing a helmet. Michigan is a helmet-free state. NHTSA recorded that 86.1% of states require riders to wear one. You don’t need to wear a helmet when riding around the Mitten. According to NHTSA, about 64.9% of motorcyclists in the country wear a helmet.
Here are the states that require a helmet for all motorcyclists:
- Alabama
- California
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
Click here to learn how to choose the right motorcycle helmet
NAMS did a study with NHTSA and found that the most common nonfatal motorcyclist injuries are the leg and foot area -- 22% of nonfatal injuries happen to the head/neck, 20% to the upper trunk, 18% to the arm/head, 8% to the lower trunk, and 3% is listed as unknown/other.
Looking to learn how to ride a motorcycle?
In order to ride in the state of Michigan, you’ll need to be a permitted driver. The minimum age to take the basic rider course is 15.
There are three different courses that the state offers: