May is the start of the motorcycle riding season - and its about time.  May is also motorcycle safety awareness month - a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Utah Department of Public Safety campaign to raise awareness that more motorcycles and scooters will be on the road.

Governor Huntsman has been a Harley rider for thirty years and an avid supporter of motorcycle safety riding at the local BMW Motorcycles of Salt Lake City to kick off this year's plans.  Where there is a governor you can bet that politics will soon follow - either by design or accident.  In this case an accident, figeratively and literally brought up the topic of motorcycle helmets.  Present at the ride was Troy Roper who has recovered from a motorcycle crash and attributes his survival to wearing a helmet.  Roper is an advocate for mandatory helmet use and has been at the legislature trying to introduce a mandatory helmet bill.  Huntsman however said educated riders usually decide to wear helmets on their own without a law. He said he would not initiate legislation to require helmets for all riders but if it came to him he would sign it.

Huntsman also urged vehicle drivers to be more careful saying "Those people in cars, I want you to keep your eyes open. I want you to see motorcycles." Alton Wagnon, a retired physician who is president of the Beehive Beamers, a BMW motorcycle club, said helmets may not help in all situations, but "luck favors the prepared." For motorcycle riders, he said, a crash is inevitable. "It's been said there's two types of motorcycle riders -- those that have been in a crash, and those that are going to."  That last line just happens to be the line I use in my radio advertising this year.

A neglected area of concern in all of this is motorcycle rider education.  I have written extensively why every motorcycle rider, seasoned or new should take part in a motorcycle safety class.  At the very least get out in the parking lot on the weekend and practice swerving and emergency stops - you never know - it might save your life.

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