Each year, the month of May is announced as being Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation—and 2023 is no different. Across America, it’s the time of year when most bikes that have been hibernating for the winter are out on US roads once more.
As riders reacclimate to one of their favorite things to do, there are certain things we can do to keep ourselves safe, and most of us know this. Unfortunately, though, not every part of road safety is within our control. As riders are already too aware, it’s also the responsibility of other vehicle operators on the road—something we all must share to help all of us enjoy the road safely.
In a letter dated May 1, 2023, US President Biden officially recognized May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. He implored all drivers and riders alike to share the road safely through various means, from personal protective gear for motorcyclists to drivers making sure that they’re aware of motorbikes operating in the immediate vicinity.
"We thank President Biden, Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and the Department of Transportation for helping to raise awareness of motorcyclists and motorcycle safety. On behalf of motorcyclists across the country, we are grateful for the funding contained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernize the highways, roads, and bridges,” MSF president and CEO Erik Pritchard said in a statement.
"The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has worked closely with the Department of Transportation and the Biden administration to bring issues facing motorcyclists to the forefront. This administration has placed a priority on reducing highway deaths and on educating the motoring public, and we appreciate that this presidential recognition is one of many ways they are working to accomplish that goal,” added MSF senior vice president of government relations Scott Schloegel.
The MSF adds that it anticipates a larger number of motorcycle and scooter riders to take to the roads in 2023, with sales continuing to rise over the past few years. In 2021, the Foundation said, a 14.2 percent uptick in new motorcycle and scooter sales in the US was observed by the Motorcycle Industry Council Retail Sales Reporting System.
If you have a few minutes and you like testing your brain and perceptive abilities, the MSF offers more than just written course materials on its website. Scroll down at the link in our Sources, and you’ll see an MSF Rider Perception Challenge, a 48-question quiz to test your motorcycling knowledge, and even an entire optical illusion area to help you understand how we perceive things, and how we can use that knowledge to ride safer out on the road.
