Early Spring Dangerous Time for Motorcycle Riders

Our nice weather means drivers will start sharing the road with more and more motorcycles.
 
But some are abusing their right to ride, risking their safety, and the safety of others.

Two riders have been busted on local highways in the last few days, each going more than 125 miles an hour.

Law enforcement and riding experts are asking motorcyclists to slow their roll early in the season.
 
When the sun comes out, so do the bikes.
 
Motorcycle safety instructor Marg Hohnadel admits, “It was hard not to get them out when it was that nice.”
 
Eager riders that can go a little overboard.
 
She adds, “Sometimes people are just so anxious to get on their bikes that they don’t stop and consider, ‘hey I better take it easy’.”
 
A motorcyclist was clocked doing 140 miles per hour on Friday.

Another rider was caught doing 129 on Sunday.

The Highway Patrol is quick to point out, that’s not the most intelligent thing to do.
 
“The driving was reckless in nature and a violation of that law,” adds Trooper Adam Malafa.
 
Hohnadel adds, “That’s really not smart.”
 
Safety experts say the roads can be more dangerous during the early spring than other times in the year. This stuff here can make for a bumpy ride.
 
“All the salt and sand that was laid on the roadways is still on the roadways,” explains Malafa.
 
“At those speeds all it takes is one little thing, one little rock,” Malafa says, “one little something that you misjudge and you can all of a sudden wind up in a very bad position.”
 
Slower, steadier riding, especially now, can be the difference between a safe ride and a date with the pavement.
 
Hohnadel warns, “It’s not fun to have that slide out from under you.”
 
She teaches riders to mind their surroundings, which includes going with the flow of traffic, not zipping through it.
 
“You’re always playing what if,” she explains. “What if that deer pulls out? What if that car pulls over?”
 
Because as much as speeding is a danger for motorcyclists, it’s also a risk for those they share the road with.
 
If you or someone you know is a rider and wants to learn some skills to stay safer on the roads, the North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program will begin registration for safety classes in two weeks.

You can find more information on the group’s website.