Deputies to Watch for Unsafe Motorcyclists Sunday

From the Orange County Sheriff’s Department:

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operations on Sunday in an effort to lower deaths and injuries.

Extra deputies will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes are more likely to occur. They will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle accidents. Examples are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, or making illegal turns, which California collision data reveals are the primary causes of motorcycle-involved crashes.

In cities within the Orange County Sheriff’s Department contracted areas there were 131 injuries and 5 fatalities which resulted from collisions involving motorcycles from 2012 to 2013. Motorcycle fatalities saw a phenomenal drop of 37 percent from 2008 to 2010, but then rose 23 percent by 2012. Operations like this are aimed at curbing any further rises in motorcycle deaths and decreasing those numbers.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is reminding all motorists to always be alert and watch out for motorcycles, especially when turning and changing lanes. The message to all drivers and motorcyclists is: Share in the responsibility and do your part by safely “Sharing the Road.”

Riders can get training through the California Motorcyclist Safety Program. Information and training locations are available at www.CA-msp.org or 1-877-RIDE-411 or 1-877-743-3411.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

PHOTO Patch file photo.