State Patrol June Law Of The Month – Cars and Motorcycles Need To Coexist On Roads

As summer weather settles in across the area, more motorcycles will be on area roadways. The Wisconsin State Patrol’s June Law of the Month reminds vehicle drivers and motorcyclists to share the road to keep all travelers safe.

According to the department, there are roughly 2,000 motorcycle crashes every year in Wisconsin, involving hundreds of injuries and dozens of fatalities.
State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan says “Vehicle drivers and motorcyclists need to be aware of each other on the roads and look twice before changing lanes or making turns.”

According to a statement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in a crash than other motorists.

The State Patrol says motorcycles are smaller than the average vehicle, so they can be harder to see on the roads and it’s easy to misjudge their speed and distance.
Because of this, drivers are asked to look twice for motorcycles; many crashes happen when drivers pull out from a stop sign, turn left, or change lanes in the path of a motorcycle.

The department also says motorcyclists need to do their part by being visible and follow the same rules of the road as other vehicles.

Riders should obey speed limits, ride defensively and not take risks, scan the road ahead looking for potential hazards such as turning vehicles, and wear protective, high visibility clothing and safety gear.

The department reminds riders that helmets are required by state law for riders under 18.

According to statistics, 69% of motorcyclists who died in crashes in Wisconsin between the years 2018-2021 were not wearing a helmet.