Be the Look Twice Driver. That’s the message the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), in partnership with the motorcycle advocacy group ABATE of Maryland Inc. and other community partners, are sending to road users this month. Governor Wes Moore has proclaimed May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Maryland to help promote awareness and safety.
During this month, the MVA and its partners will highlight the rules of the road for new and seasoned riders and encourage all drivers to share the road by remaining alert and driving responsibly.
“Warmer weather marks the unofficial start of the riding season for motorcyclists, with approximately 80 percent of fatalities occurring between May and October,” said Chrissy Nizer, Motor Vehicle Administrator and Governor Moore’s Highway Safety Representative. “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month is an important time to remind drivers and riders that motorcycle crashes are preventable if we all take a moment to look twice and responsibly share the road. The ongoing partnership with ABATE allows us to amplify that message and to ensure that our vulnerable road users can safely make it home each day.”
According to data from the MVA’s Highway Safety Office, in 2023, there were 82 motorcycle-involved fatalities in Maryland, and so far this year, 19 motorcycle fatalities have occurred. Sixty percent of motorcycle-involved crashes occur between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. and more than half (55 percent) occur Friday through Sunday.
“ABATE of Maryland, Inc. prioritizes training and education as the primary strategies for minimizing crashes and injuries,” said Ken Eaton, Executive Director of the organization. “By emphasizing education through a comprehensive approach that includes motorcycle safety courses, community engagement and highway safety, we can create a safer environment for everyone on the roads.”
Officials also announced the return of the agency’s FAST TRACK program at select branches to boost the number of licensed motorcyclists in the state. FAST TRACK is an expedient process for motorcycle licensing in Maryland that allows customers to take both the knowledge test for the Class M learner’s permit and the riding test on the same day. Marylanders interested in participating in the program can get more information and sign up for an appointment here.
As part of Motorcycle Safety Month, the agency is encouraging drivers and riders to share the road and help protect one another by using the following tips:
For Drivers:
- Share the road with motorcyclists. Motorcyclists can use the full travel lane, so give them space and don’t cut them off.
- Look twice for motorcycles. When there is a crash involving a car and a motorcycle, the driver of the motor vehicle is at fault more than half of the time. Signal your intentions and always check two or more times before making left turns, merging, changing lanes or pulling into traffic.
- Remember that motorcyclists are smaller than cars. Drivers tend to look for other cars and trucks, but not for motorcyclists. Since a rider and their motorcycle are smaller than a car, they are often difficult to see.
- Minimize and check your blind spots. Motorcycles are easily hidden by a driver’s blind spot. Check your mirrors regularly when driving and adjust them to show more of the road and less of your vehicle.
For Motorcycle Riders:
- Be courteous, non-aggressive and respectful of other road users when riding.
- Make yourself visible at all times. Choose riding gear that increases your visibility in traffic, in addition to providing protection in the event of a crash. Use bright colors and retro-reflective strips or decals, especially at night.
- Ride so you are seen. There is not one “safest” place to ride in terms of visibility. Use lane positioning to be seen by drivers. Ride with your headlight on and consider using a modulating headlight.
- Give yourself space and time to react. Allow space for braking or for avoiding a crash.
- Signal your intentions. Signal before changing lanes. Avoid weaving between lanes. Flash your brake light when you are slowing down and before stopping. Make your lane changes gradually.
- Learn early, learn often. Motorcycle safety training courses have much to offer new, experienced and returning riders. Keep your skills sharp by regularly participating in motorcycle skills training courses.
The MVA remains committed to offering training courses for new and experienced riders that emphasize skills and concentration necessary to operate a motorcycle by providing a list of training centers where riders can ensure they have the skills and mental strategies for responsible motorcycle operation.
The MVA’s Highway Safety Office will also be sharing “Be the LOOK TWICE Driver” messaging throughout May, depicting how a driver can easily see a motorcyclists one second, and how quick that motorcycle can disappear in a blind spot. Public service advertisements will run on Facebook, billboards and bus tails across the state.
Learn more about MVA’s Highway Safety Office’s commitment to zero deaths on Maryland roadways at ZeroDeathsMD.gov and on Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram at zerodeathsmd.gov.
