PennDOT, Safety Partners Urge Safety for Motorcycle Riders and Emergency Responders During National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

​Pittsburgh, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Allegheny County Safety Partners gathered for a "Blessing of the Bikes" event to kick-off the motorcycle riding season and raise awareness during National Motorcycle Safety Month.

During the event, safety partners shared safe riding tips, distributed motorcycle safety resources, and blessed the motorcycles of first responders in the hopes of bringing them safety this riding season. PennDOT shared information on the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP) and how riders can use the free program's motorcycle training courses tailored for all skill levels.

According to PennDOT data, there are more than 794,000 licensed motorcyclists statewide, compared to the over nine million licensed drivers in the state. This means motorcyclists make up nearly 9% of Pennsylvania's driving population.

Additionally, in 2023 there were 3,448 crashes involving a motorcyclist in Pennsylvania, resulting in 238 fatalities statewide. This is an increase from the prior year's 3,328 motorcyclist crashes and 217 fatalities. To combat these numbers, motorists and motorcyclists must work together to keep each other safe.

The importance of watching out for emergency personnel who ride was highlighted throughout the event. As these first responders focus on saving lives, motorists are also encouraged to focus on saving lives by following these safety tips:

• Check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and at intersections.
• Leave at least four seconds of following space when driving behind a motorcycle.
• Signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic.
• Allow a motorcyclist a full lane width as the motorcyclist needs the room to maneuver safely in all types of road conditions.

Sharing the road properly with motorcycles and abiding by Pennsylvania's Move Over Law were also highlighted by the safety partners. The law requires drivers approaching an emergency response area who are unable to safely merge into a lane farther away from the response area to "pass the emergency response area at a speed of no more than 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit and reasonable for safely passing."

The Allegheny County Safety Partners consist of AAA East Central, Allegheny County Health Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Pretrial Services, Allegheny County Sheriff Department, Children's Hospital Injury Prevention, City of Pittsburgh Police, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project.

For more information on motorcycle safety, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.

PennDOT's media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as seat belts, impaired driving, and distracted driving for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.

For regional updates, follow PennDOT on Twitter and join the Greater Pittsburgh Area PennDOT Facebook group.

Contact: Yasmeen Manyisha, [email protected]​

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