May has been designated Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many of you ride motorcycles and we are all exposed to them on the roads.

For those who ride, Motorcycle Safety means inspecting your motorcycle, wearing proper motorcycle riding gear, and riding defensively on the road. A recent study found the causes of motorcycle crashed can be attributed to:

• lack of basic riding skills
• failure to appreciate the inherent operating characteristics
• failure to appreciate the limitations of the motorcycle 
• failure to use special precautions while riding 
• failure to use defensive driving techniques. 
• lack of specific braking and cornering skills 
• failure to follow speed limit

Approximately half of all fatal single-vehicle motorcycle crashes involve alcohol. A motorcycle requires more skill and coordination to operate than a car. Riding a motorcycle while under the influence of any amount of alcohol significantly decreases an operator's ability to operate the motorcycle safely.

An estimated 33 percent of motorcycle operators killed in traffic crashes are not licensed or are improperly licensed to operate a motorcycle. By not obtaining a motorcycle operator license, riders are bypassing the only method they and state licensing agencies have to ensure they have the knowledge and skill needed to safely and skillfully operate a motorcycle.