In Lake Forest, the Orange County Sheriff's Department plans to bolster motorcycle safety by increasing patrols starting on Friday, November 3. This initiative aims to safeguard motorcyclists and drivers amid the high traffic of nearly 900,000 registered motorcycles in California, where motorcyclists are more than 28 times as likely to perish in accidents than passengers in cars, according to a press release.
Given the heightened risk to motorcycle riders, safety reminders for drivers are crucial. Drivers should check twice for motorcycles in their mirrors and blind spots before lane changes, avoid tailgating motorcyclists, and to keep safe distance from them, especially at intersections.
In order to reduce their accident risk, motorcyclists, while on the roads, must always wear a Department of Transportation (DOT)-compliant helmet, gloves, leather clothing, and other protective attire. Other safety measures include using reflective tape on clothing, keeping motorcycle lights on, and being wary of other drivers' awareness levels. Although lane splitting is legal in California, it's discouraged when done at high speeds around large vehicles.
