‘Watch for Motorcycles’
Like butterflies emerging from their cocoons, many local motorcyclists broke their bikes out of their garages and took to the streets at the first hints of spring and warm weather.
Eric Mershimer, president of the Butler County Chapter of the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education, said May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and with so many bikers flocking to the streets after a long winter, now is a good time to remind other drivers of the best safety practices for sharing the road.
“Being cooped up all winter long, they'll be swarming the place next weekend,” Mershimer said. “The biggest thing we promote is ‘Look twice, save a life.’" Look twice in both directions when turning because motorcycles get hidden really easily behind a car, a sign and we get taken out by cars a lot.”
Mershimer said motorcyclists go through more extensive training to obtain their license to ride than typical drivers of car vehicles.
ABATE organizes motorcycle safety courses throughout the state that riders can take to help them prepare to get their license or refresh their skills. There once was a course in Slippery Rock, Mershimer said, but now the closest ones are scheduled in Monroeville and in Erie.
“To get the motorcycle endorsement there's a lot you have to do... you have to take the motorcycle safety course,” Mershimer said. “You have to take the three-day class.”
Additionally, money spent acquiring and renewing motorcycle licenses is used by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to promote safety for bikers.
“We have to pay an extra $5 to renew our license, that (money) goes toward motorcycle safety,” Mershimer said. “Those yellow ‘Watch for Motorcycles’ signs are made by PennDOT, but we give them to members (and) to dealerships.”
In addition to PennDOT, ABATE also promotes and advocates for motorcycle safety throughout the year. Mershimer said the Butler County chapter has about 230 members, and there are more than 5,000 throughout the state, who all receive a newsletter from the organization.
Mershimer said drivers should treat motorcycles like any other vehicle on the road and be aware of their presence and direction. Conversely, his advice to motorcyclists is to practice defensive riding to avoid potential collisions with drivers.
“If you saw a tractor-trailer coming down the road, you wouldn't pull in front of him, but in a motorcycle you think 'Oh, he's far enough back I can turn,”’ Mershimer said. “I always ride like I'm invisible, that way I'm not afraid when someone tries to run me over.”
Despite the dangers that come with riding a motorcycle, Mershimer said biking is a passion for himself and many others, in part thanks to the freedom it offers.
“I love riding a bike,” Mershimer said. “Once I got on one I loved it and have not been off since; a lot of people say it's the freedom of the road and I’d have to agree.”
