Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Highlights Motorcycle Safety For Fall Season

With the fall season fast approaching, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) is reminding all motorists to be mindful of motorcyclists still on the roadways enjoying the last bit of nice weather. The reminder is being highlighted as the GTSC says there has been a number of fatal motorcycle crashes so far this year.

“From Bushwick to Buffalo, too many families have faced the pain of deadly motorcycle collisions this summer. All the more heartbreaking is that these crashes are preventable,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee at a press event at a rest area along I-87 in Saratoga County. “As drivers and riders share the road, they also shoulder the responsibility of keeping motorcyclists safe, and we want to remind everyone that fall riding is especially popular in New York because of our unmatched autumn foliage.”

Some tips motorists are asked to remember include: yielding to motorcyclists, give them space, pass with care, and to look twice. The GTSC also says motorists should always be responsible when driving, obeying all traffic laws, never drive distracted, and to drive sober.

The GTSC says motorcyclists continue to be overrepresented in traffic-related fatalities throughout the nation. This comes even when motorcycles only represent 3.5% of all registered motor vehicles; motorcyclists account for up to 15% of all traffic related fatalities. 

New York State alone has had 66 deadly motorcycle crashes this year. The number is expected to rise further as data comes into the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research.