Michigan Launches 'Look Twice. Save a Life.' Campaign to Promote Motorcycle Safety

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — As the riding season gets underway, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson urged motorists to be alert and attentive when sharing the road with motorcyclists. Benson relaunched the Michigan Department of State's (MDOS) annual "Look Twice. Save a Life." public education campaign to mark May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Governor Gretchen Whitmer also issued a proclamation in support of the campaign.

"‘Look Twice. Save a Life.’ is more than a slogan. It is a fundamental tenet of safe driving and key to reducing the number of crashes between passenger vehicles and motorcycles," Benson said.

Warm weather months typically see an increase in motorcycle-related traffic accidents. Given their smaller visual profile, motorcyclists are harder to see. Benson reminded drivers to look twice at intersections and when making left turns to prevent crashes.

From May through September 2021, Michigan recorded 1,716 crashes between motorcycles and passenger vehicles, resulting in 120 fatalities and 407 serious injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to be killed in a crash than occupants of passenger vehicles.

Most crashes in Michigan occur on streets with speed limits of 35-55 mph, and half happen at intersections. The top counties for crashes in 2021 included Wayne, Oakland, Kent, and Macomb.

Sterling Heights motorcyclist Bryan Renaud, who suffered a broken collarbone in a 2020 crash, said, "Unawareness kills." He added that motorcyclists appreciate the state's efforts to raise safety awareness among riders and passenger vehicle drivers.

The "Look Twice. Save a Life." campaign is funded by the Motorcycle Safety and Education Fund, which was established by the Michigan Legislature in 2017. Fees from original motorcycle endorsements and renewal endorsements finance the fund.