Posted by Cindy Uken | May 4, 2022 | News, Valley Life
Industry experts say the skyrocketing popularity of bicycles, eBikes, motorcycles, scooters and other “micromobility” devices during the pandemic is continuing even after people return to pre-pandemic activities, at least partly because of record-high gas prices.
The Automobile Club of Southern California and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation are warning all road users during Bicycle Safety Month and Motorcycle Safety Month that bike and motorcycle riders are at increased risk of being injured or killed in a crash with a vehicle, so drivers and riders need to watch out for each other.
Motorcycle crash fatalities and serious injuries declined in California in both 2019 and 2020, but then jumped up to a 10-year high point in 2021, with nearly 4,000 motorcyclists seriously injured or killed last year. That number represents more than 20 percent of all serious injury and fatal crashes. Bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries have remained fairly steady in California over the past 10 years at about 1,100 per year.
“With traffic returning to pre-pandemic levels and higher gas prices, more people could be motivated to use bicycles and motorcycles for their daily commutes, and we don’t want vehicle versus cycle crashes to increase this year,” said Anita Lorz Villagrana, the Auto Club’s Manager of Traffic Safety and Community Programs. “We encourage riders to take a safety class such as the workshops we offer this month, or a safety class from an organization like the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, to prevent potentially tragic crashes.”
To help new and prospective eBike riders and cyclists stay safe on the road, the Auto Club is offering two free webinars this month:
Pre-registration for both webinars is required at AAA.com/BikeSafe
The Auto Club recommends the following tips to help drivers and bicyclists safely share the road:
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers these top five tips to drivers:
And top five tips for riders:
More tips are available at msf-usa.org and forcardrivers.com.
Cindy Uken is a respected, award-winning journalist who is persistent in getting the details of a news story so readers will be better informed about political, healthcare and veteran news. She is a veteran journalist who brings a fresh perspective to local online political news. As the CEO of Uken Report, she is driven by providing an alternative digital platform for the latest breaking online news throughout the Coachella Valley.
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