Weekly Tip - Motorcycle Safety

May is also Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. This post will offer some tips on motorcycle safety and education.

Summer time or gas prices may both be reasons why many people turn to a motorcycle for their daily commute. Motorcycles can save time and fuel cost, but without proper training and practice, the rider can be much more prone to becoming involved in a collision compared to driving a car. California law requires that a motorcycle rider obtain a Class M1 endorsement on their license. The test is fairly simple and with a minimum of studying and practice, a rider can pass the tests. However, that is NOT enough.

Prior to straddling a motor and hitting the streets or freeways, motorcycle riders need to understand their bikes, know their capabilities as a rider, what to look for, and what to expect while riding. To accomplish this, the rider needs to practice, study, and hopefully, take a safety course. Learning from other's mistakes and taking advantage of the advice from an experienced rider can save your life.

Here are some links to information resources and rider classes:

•California Motorcycle Safety Program

•National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

•Web Bike World

•Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. Sac - Local Safety Classes)

Weekly Activity Highlights for May 19-25, 2013

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_5.19.13.pdf

Memorial Day 2013

To those that are serving, and to those that have served, we wish you the best on this Memorial Day 2013.

To the men and women who served our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice, we salute you!

We urge you to take the time to say "Thanks" to our vets and to current members of our military, not just today, but everyday.

Fake-A-Rooney (Click It or Ticket!)

(Courtesy our partners at NHTSA)

Click It or Ticket!

The 2013 National Click It or Ticket Mobilization Campaign runs from Monday, May 20 through Sunday, June 2, 2013. In order to support national efforts to make Click It or Ticket a success, the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are asking traffic and patrol officers from every agency to join police departments across the State in conducting maximum visibility seat belt enforcement during the campaign time frame. To assist with the campaign, Arcadia Police Officers will be conducting increased enforcement looking for seat belt and child restraint violations, both day and night.  This is a zero tolerance campaign.

From the Office of Traffic Safety website:

It only takes two seconds to buckle up. Two seconds! And those two seconds could literally save your life. They will also keep you from getting a ticket and a fine.

Law enforcement throughout California will be looking for drivers and passengers who don’t buckle up during the “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign. They will be on the lookout for drivers and passengers - including passengers in the back seat, day and night.

Drive Safely! Buckle Up!

Weekly Tip - Share the Road

Here are some important rules of the road for bicyclists from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.  All motorists need be aware of these laws.  Drivers and bicyclists alike should Share the Road!

Bicyclists:

•Are entitled to share the road with motor vehicles.

•Have the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle and motorcycle drivers.

•Must obey all traffic signals and stop signs.

•Are lawfully permitted to ride on certain sections of roadway in rural areas where there is no alternate route.

•Must ride in the same direction as other traffic, not against it.

•Shall ride as near to the right curb or edge of the roadway as practical– not on the sidewalk.

•Are legally allowed to ride in the center of the lane when moving at the same speed as other traffic.

•May move left to pass a parked or moving vehicle, bicycle, animal, or avoid debris or other hazards.

•May choose to ride near the left curb or edge of a one-way street.

•Should ride single file on a busy or narrow street.

•Must make left and right turns in the same way drivers do, using the same turn lanes. If the bicyclist is traveling straight ahead, he or she should use a through traffic lane rather than ride next to the curb and block traffic making right turns.

•Must signal all their intentions to motorists and bicyclists near them.

•Must wear a helmet if under the age of 18.

•Should carry identification.

•Shall not operate a bicycle on a roadway unless the bicycle is equipped with:

◦A brake which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

Weekly Activity Highlights for May 12-18, 2013

http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/weekly_5.12.13.pdf