Advocating For Motorcycle Awareness

May is national Motorcycle Awareness Month. Drivers and bikers everywhere are encouraged to think twice when it comes to safety on the roadways.

For Marc Santoro, riding motorcycles is his favorite form of transportation. Santoro said he knew bikes were his preferred vehicle since he was 12 years old. Now, he’s an instructor with the Idaho STAR Motorcycle Safety Program.

“Be cognizant of motorcycles, look twice, consider using their blinkers and be patient and just share the road,” said Santoro. “We’re road users as well. We need to do our part and motorists need to do theirs.”

It’s something everyone needs to remember, Santoro said. In an effort to spread safety awareness, dozens of motorcyclists organized a motorcade Saturday.

“Use basic smarts when on the road,” said Mike Smith, a local motorcyclist. “A person on a motorcycle has to have their radar on high 100 percent of the time because stuff comes at you when everybody’s comfortable and when you least expect it.”

Research done by Carnegie Mellon University shows that driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent. Bikers said it’s something they worry about often.

For more information on the Idaho STAR Motorcycle Safety Program, visit www.idahostar.org or click here