Motorcycle Accidents Up As Riders Take Advantage of Warm Weather

By: 10/11 News Team Email

Updated: Tue 5:06 AM, Oct 23, 2012

"When you see a motorcyclist, don't think of it as a vehicle, think of it as a person because they don't have much protection." - Tracy Webb, Nebraska Safety Council

A motorcycle accident leaves one man in the hospital with minor injuries, Sunday. Officials are seeing more and more crashes like this. They blame the warm weather for more motorcycles on the road.

Police say the accident involved three vehicles-- including a motorcycle.

They were traveling westbound on Saltillo Road, between 27th and 25th Streets.

The vehicles slowed for a car that was turning onto 25th Street when an SUV was struck from behind.

The SUV was then pushed into the motorcycle.

The motorcyclist was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

Police are still investigating the exact cause of the accident, but believe the driver that struck the SUV was distracted.

Tracy Webb with the Nebraska Safety Council says motorcyclists need to make themselves visible and other drives need to be looking for them.

"When you see a motorcyclist, don't think of it as a vehicle, think of it as a person because they don't have much protection, Webb said. "Motorcycles are small. They may look like they are moving faster than they are. They may look like they are further away than they are, so motorist may misjudge how fast they are going or how far away they are from an intersection."

Webb says other drives need to take extra care to look for motorcycles, especially on a warm day. He says to check blind spots, never tailgate a motorcycle and take a second look at intersections.

Motorcycle fatalities spiked with the warm weather. Twenty-three riders lost their lives on Nebraska highways so far this year. That's tied with last year's numbers.

"A lot more people were out on the roads probably more so than there were in the past years just because of the weather. Sunshiny days and no rain to contend with, prime time to get out and ride," Webb said.

Webb recommends taking a motorcycle course. The Nebraska Safety Council officers several classes a year, covering all the basics. But, Webb says to practice a lot before hopping on your hog for a road trip.