DPS and UDOT launch new effort to improve safety for motorcyclists

Photo: Gephardt Daily

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 21, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Department of Public Safety and Utah Department of Transportation are kicking off “Ride to Live,” a safety campaign to educate motorcyclists and drivers about lane filtering and encourage riders to enroll in motorcycle skills courses.

In Utah, motorcycle crashes are 11 times more likely to result in a death than auto crashes, said a news release from UDOT.

As warm weather returns, more motorcyclists will return to Utah roads; drivers should be in the habit of seeing motorcycles and anticipating rider behavior, the news release said. Motorcyclists need to wear proper gear and improve riding skills, officials added.

“Motorcycles are among the smallest and most vulnerable vehicles on the road,” said UDOT public information officer John Gleason. “They don’t have the same protections as cars or trucks, and this puts riders at greater risk of serious injury or death in a crash. Every year we see fatalities that could have been prevented had a driver or rider paid better attention or been more prepared. Making small improvements in our driving behaviors can put a stop to these terrible crashes and save lives.”

Utahns can click here to schedule rider skills courses and get a 25% discount code made valid through four partners: Utah Rider Education, Dixie State University, Harley-Davidson of Salt Lake City and Learn to Ride by SLCC. For beginning riders, the course includes both classroom and range instruction, covering foundational topics for straight-line riding, stopping, shifting, negotiation curves, risk reduction and riding strategy. For more experienced riders, the course builds on and improves skills that include braking, swerving and cornering.

Motorists can also click here for tips on how to best share the road with motorcyclists.

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