Recent motorcycle crashes are prompting Maryland State Police to issue a reminder for both motorcyclists and other drivers to take precautions, especially during the remaining warm weather months.
Since July 28, troopers have responded to six fatal crashes across the state that have involved motorcycle riders. The crashes represent reminders to take extra precautions while driving.
Consider the following:
- On Aug. 12, a 44-year-old Harford County man died after losing control of his motorcycle and crashing into a light pole in the area of northbound Bel Air Road north of Rock Spring Road.
- On Aug. 10, a Baltimore County man died after crashing his motorcycle in Rosedale, Md. Investigators believe that he was traveling the ramp from Golden Ring Road to the inner loop of I-695 and failed to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic, striking a vehicle on its passenger side and overturning. The motorcycle then slid to the right side of the roadway and the motorcyclist was ejected. A car traveling in the lane where the motorcyclist was ejected then struck him.
- On Aug. 5, a 26-year-old Prince George’s County man died after the motorcycle he was driving crashed into a car on Central Avenue at Watkins Park Drive in Largo, Md. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the car was attempting to make a left from westbound Central Avenue. The motorcycle was traveling eastbound on Central Avenue when the crash occurred. Charges against the driver of the car are pending the outcome of the investigation.
- On Aug. 4, a 34-year-old Baltimore County man died after crashing his motorcycle in the area of I-695 and Maryland Route 2 in Glen Burnie, Md.
- On Aug. 4, a motorcyclist died when he lost control of his motorcycle, traveled across a grass median and struck two other motorcycles as he drove from on the ramp from Harry S Truman Drive to westbound Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
- On July 28, a 61-year-old Baltimore County man died after crashing his motorcycle on the inner loop of I-695 between North Point and Merritt boulevards.
In Maryland, an average of 70 traffic fatalities and 1,400 injuries associated with motorcycles are reported each year, with 82 such fatalities in 2017 alone, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office. Common factors associated in motorcycle crashes include alcohol impairment, lack of helmet use and aggressive driving.
Here are some basic tips for motorcycle riders:
- Get trained and properly licensed: A motorcycle license is required to ride on the roads in Maryland. There are also basic rider training courses riders can take in Maryland prior to testing for the license.
- Stay sober: Nearly 1/3 of fatalities in motorcycle crashes in 2014 were alcohol-impaired.
- Obey speed limits: In 2015, speeding was a factor in more than 30 percent of motorcycle crashes.
- Wear proper protective clothing, especially a helmet: Wearing a helmet is the law in Maryland. Violators could be fined up to $500.
- Allow for proper space for emergency breaking on the road
- Don’t drive aggressively
Here are some basic tips for general motorists:
- Be alert for motorcyclists.
- Motorcyclists have the same rights and privileges on the road as any other driver
- Yield the right-of-way to an oncoming motorcycle when turning left
- Give motorcycle riders plenty of space
- Use care when driving near a group of motorcyclists.
For more information about motorcycle safety in Maryland, click here.
