Towards Zero Deaths: Sharing the road with motorcyclists

(ABC 6 News) – As more people hit the roads this summer, Minnesota is aiming Toward Zero Deaths. Making traffic safety a priority.

As of now, there have been 163 traffic deaths so far this year on Minnesota roads and it’s only the end of June. If we’re comparing it to last year, the number was 200 traffic deaths at this point. It doesn’t matter what you’re driving, car or motorcycle, the Department of Public Safety said every driver has a responsibility.

"I think many people might be familiar with the saying we’ve used for a number of years, ‘start seeing motorcyclists.’ That’s really what it comes down to," said Mike Hanson, the director at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. "That’s what it really comes down to. Every driver on the road has a responsibility to know who they’re sharing the road with."

Minnesota is a unique situation. Motorcyclists aren’t driving out all year round. So when the warmer weather comes, we all need to get used to sharing the roads with them.

"Riding a motorcycle takes a particular physical and mental skill set in order to do it well and to do it safely," added Hanson. "If a driver is pushing those limits and riding well outside of their normal skill set, they’re going to find themselves in trouble very, very quickly."

The Toward Zero Deaths campaign has a goal of no more than 225 deaths a year by the year 2025.