EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)- The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDT) reminds all drivers to share the road as more motorcyclists will be on the road as the weather gets warmer.
The month of May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the NMDT wants to remind all motorcyclists to wear helmets and practice other safety measures.
Motorcyclists are 28 percent more likely to die in a crash and five times more likely to be injured than drivers in passenger vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to a release, in 2019 there were 957 motorcycle crashes in New Mexico; 54 fatalities; 38 were not wearing helmets.
“Even the smallest momentary lapse in a driver’s awareness can result in the death of an unseen motorcyclist,” said Transportation Secretary Mike Sandoval. “By raising motorists’ awareness, both drivers and riders will be safer sharing the road.”
Drivers must be aware, it may be hard to see motorcycles because of their small size making it difficult to judge their distance, while motorists should also be aware of motorcycle riding practices like downshifting and weaving to know how to anticipate and respond to them, said the release.
