ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and with the warmer weather, the number of motorcyclists on the roads across the Capital Region is rising. According to the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, unfortunately, the number of deadly crashes is rising too.
Andrew Liuzzi is the President of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education of New York. He's also been riding for over 40 years. He said the average joy ride has taken a scary turn in recent years.
"I've had deer jump out in front of me, I've had vehicles pull out in front of me, people run red lights on a regular basis," said Liuzzi. "Everybody's in a hurry, instead of enjoying the scenery."
That hustle and bustle has made awareness more important than ever. "You've got to ride with your head on a swivel," Liuzzi suggested. "You have to look at every car that comes into your environment. We're on the road too, and we have rights as much as they do."
One of the biggest motorcycle rallies of the year, Americade, will be back in Lake George at the end of the month. Assemblyman Matt Simpson told NEWS10 he doesn't want anyone at the event to become a statistic. "While life is very distracting, and there's all sorts of things that are going on as we're driving down the road, we have to always think about the motorcycles," he stated.
And that way, they can come back each and every year. "We love our motorcyclists, we love this time of year, and the great weather, and the people that come to visit us," added Simpson. "We want to make sure that they come and visit us every year."
Before they hit the road, those riders can train with the New York Motorcycle Safety Program—but Liuzzi said that's just the tip of the iceberg. "The basics is just the basics," said Liuzzi. "So, to become a better rider, you need to practice, and get comfortable with your machine. But not too comfortable. You never want to take for granted what you're doing."
And then, you can be seen. "And I ask everybody, 'can you see me now?' Because we want people to be aware we're out there," concluded Liuzzi.
