See Me…Save Me

Published May 9, 2014
By 2nd Lt. Chris Vurhulst
14th Flying Training Wing Safety

COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Imagine you are sitting in your car on Highway 45 waiting to turn left to get to a store or restaurant. Of course, it's Highway 45 so the traffic is terrible and it is taking forever. You glance down at your phone to check if you are running late. When you look up, you finally see an opening so you quickly pull into the turn. What you didn't notice was the motorcycle traveling in the opposite direction that was forced to swerve aggressively, narrowly avoiding your car and disaster.

This left-turn configuration is the most common scenario for a motorcycle accident. In fact, a driver violating the right-of-way of a motorcyclist in any fashion accounts for over half of all motorcycle accidents, both single and multi-vehicle, a wakeup call to drivers who believe motorcycle safety does not apply to them.

Motorcycle accidents already took the lives of six Airmen this year, with 18 fatalities in 2013 and 19 in 2012. Mississippi experiences over 45 motorcycle accident fatalities each year. Nearly three-quarters of these fatal accidents involve a collision with another vehicle, and in most cases the motorist says, "I didn't see them!" Motorcycles can be hard to see, but if you are not actively looking for them, motorcycles are easy to miss.

That is what Motorcycle Safety Month and the "See Me... Save Me" campaign is all about, bringing awareness to drivers on the importance of staying vigilant on the road. The Air Force recommends its motorcyclists wear brightly colored gear to improve visibility, but what can the rest of us do?

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers these quick tips:

1. Look for motorcyclists - Use your eyes and mirrors to see what is around you, and check the blind spots when you are changing lanes or turning at intersections. Look, and look again.

2. Focus on driving - Hang up the phone, put down the MP3 player, settle the passengers, and drive.

3. Use your turn signals - Signal your intentions for everyone's safety.

4. Give two-wheelers some room - Don't tailgate or pass too closely.

5. Take your time - Nothing is as important as the safety of your loved ones, yourself, and the others with whom you share the road.

This month, focus on looking for motorcycles; you will be surprised how many are on the road. By increasing your awareness, you will drastically improve your chances of seeing them and saving them so they can return home to their wives, husbands, mothers, fathers and children.