Motorcyclists are out early on Iowa highways; be mindful

Motorcycle fatalities were at a recent low in 2011, but Toni Kerkove, Iowa DOT motorcycle safety coordinator, says this is no time to let down your guard when sharing the road with motorcyclists. Kerkove said, “Early in the season, motorcyclists are dusting off their riding skills and other motorists are not always looking out for motorcycles on the highway. This can be a deadly combination.”

Crashes Involving Motorcycles Fatalities and Injuries for
Calendar Years 2001 through 2011
(as reported by law enforcement – 2011 numbers are preliminary)

With the upswing in distractions available to drivers, motorists often are paying more attention to items inside their vehicles and less attention to the task of driving safely. In crashes with motorcyclists, drivers often say they never saw the motorcycle. Even when a driver is paying attention to the task of driving, a motorcycle’s outline is much smaller than most other vehicle silhouettes and, especially early in the spring, most drivers are not looking for motorcycles.

Even if a driver sees a motorcyclist, safety is far from assured. Smaller vehicles appear farther away and seem to be traveling slower than their actual speed. The vehicle driver’s misjudgment of the motorcycle’s speed is frequently noted in these crashes. Iowa DOT State Safety Engineer Jeremey Vortherms encourages all motorcyclists to “Be a part of the solution and ride bright.”

Data shows nearly 73 percent (10-year average) of crashes with motorcycles and 60 percent of motorcycle fatalities occur in broad daylight. Riders should wear bright-colored clothing to increase the chances of being seen, because the rider’s body is half of the visible surface area of the rider-motorcycle unit. A motorcycle rider wearing a bright orange, red, yellow or green helmet, jacket or vest has been shown to increase a motorist’s ability to see the smaller vehicle. Reflective clothing or strips on the helmet and vest also increase visibility for night riding.

Motorcycle equipment can also help the rider and motorcycle be more visible to other drivers. Because many vehicles now use daytime running lights, daytime motorcycle headlamps are not as conspicuous as they once were. Now, a modulating motorcycle headlamp is a good way to help motorcycles get noticed in traffic. Other motorists are more likely to give motorcycles a second look, and better judge their speed and placement in traffic. Modulating headlamps conforming to federal regulation 43 CFR § 51.108S7.9.4 are permitted on motorcycles in all states.

There are many tools motorcyclists can use to be more visible on the road.

• Avoid driver’s blind spots by using strategic lane positioning.
• Use the motorcycle’s turn signal and signal your intentions with hand signals.
• Wearing bright or reflective gloves will make hand signals more visible.
• Alert following vehicles when slowing down or stopping by flashing the vehicle’s taillight, or install a safety taillight system that automatically flashes and then holds steady when braking.
• Install a modulating headlight.
• Add reflective materials to the motorcycle.