Ride safe in month of May

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in California.

In an effort to raise awareness about the importance of drivers and motorcyclists sharing the road, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will release the video “Thrill or Buzz Kill?” at the upcoming Motorcycle Safety Summit.

“Sharing the road with many types of vehicles is necessary for safe highways,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “While drivers need to watch out for bikers, motorcyclists need to be defensive riders and watch their surroundings as well.”

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) more Californians are sharing the roadways. “Among the more than 23 million licensed drivers in the state, there are roughly 1.1 million licensed riders,” said DMV Deputy Director of Licensing Operations Mimi Khan.

The CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) statistics show the number of motorcyclists killed in collisions statewide has increased more than 140 percent during the past 10 years.

With a motorcycle, safety accessories are limited to equipment like helmets, jackets, boots and gloves -- not much stands between the rider and serious injury in case of a collision.