OFF THE WIRE
http://goarticles.com/article/Drivers-Angered-by-Freeway-Campaign-Promoting-Motorcycle-Safety/3936182
Drivers Angered by Freeway Campaign Promoting Motorcycle Safety
by The McClellan Law Firm in Law / Personal Injury (submitted 2010-12-29)
The message that appeared on electronic freeway signs in San Diego was intended to be innocuous and helpful. Instead, in some people it triggered resentment and even anger. The offending message? "Share the road. Look twice for motorcyclists."
Edward Cartagena, a spokesperson for the San Diego Caltrans office told the San Diego Union-Tribune that none of the calls the office had received had been positive.
About a dozen angry callers complained that it wasn't up to them to keep an eye out for motorcyclists. Said Cartagena, "Wow, I didn't know there was a sentiment like that out there on the roadways." Motorcyclists Increasingly Endangered By Distracted Drivers
Motorcyclists told the newspaper that they welcomed the drive-by message campaign because they're increasingly vulnerable on crowded streets and freeways. Drivers are less attentive than ever, distracted by cellphones and other electronics, as well as more traditional distractions such as music, food, conversation and rapid lane-changing.
The result is that California is experiencing a dramatic rise in injuries and fatalities among motorcyclists.
Between 1999 and 2008, motorcyclist deaths in San Diego County skyrocketed from 16 to 52: an increase of 225 percent. San Diego County motorcyclists also suffered 1,134 injuries in 2008, the most recent year for which figures are available. These statistics reflect broader trends throughout California; in 1999, there were 230 fatalities statewide, by 2008 this number had surged to 529.
The California Highway Patrol is conducting a two-year "Look Twice, Save a Life" campaign to reduce the rapidly rising number of motorcyclist deaths and injuries in the four counties with the worst motorcycle crash rates.
Ultimately, motorcycle safety is a shared responsibility. Clearly, motorcycle riders must obey the laws of the road--but even the most careful rider is at the mercy of other drivers on the road. All drivers must pay close attention to the road and the surroundings to avoid potentially catastrophic collisions with motorcyclists.
