Thunder Roads Magazine of Oregon | Page 9

MAY MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS MONTH – NEWS YOU CAN USE Encountering a raccoon in the road with a car usually only ruins the raccoon’s life, but that same encounter on a motorcycle can be a very different story for a rider. You can do everything right, and still be involved in a crash. Even the most experienced riders can respect the need for riders to have increased awareness of their surroundings, not just drivers needing to see riders in traffic. According to the latest Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) statistical data for 2014, motorcycle fatalities were up 41% from 2013*. Many of these were single motorcycle crashes, or cyclist at fault crashes. Th