By Mary O’KEEFE

The days are getting warmer, for the most part, which means flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and the sound of motorcycles screaming around the turns on the Crest are sometimes followed by the sounds of sirens in the air.
“It’s a constant,” said Sgt. Jose Larios of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station. “Obviously there are a lot more people [out] as the weather gets nice but the [accidents] are year round.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2015 there were 8.6 million private and commercial motorcycles on U.S. roads. In 2015, there were about 5,000 motorcycle fatalities nationwide, and 33% of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with 19% of drivers of passenger cars, 15% of light truck drivers and 7% of large truck drivers.
Those statistics will, for the most part, not mean anything to dedicated motor-cycle riders. They will continue to speed around the blind curves and drive beyond their skill level, which keeps California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles sheriffs and Montrose Search and Rescue team members busy, especially on the weekends.
“People ride above their capabilities,” Larios said.
He added that motorcyclists also travel too fast on roads they are not used to. The Angeles Crest and Angeles National Forest highways are not easy to navigate for first time riders.
“A lot of times there is a group [of riders] and the ones who are [not experi-enced] are in the back of the group, and so they have to keep up,” he said adding that the majority of accidents are preventable.
“[Motorcyclists] drive too fast and don’t take into account other drivers’ abilities,” Larios said.
According to California AAA, more than 35% of motorcyclists involved in fa-tal accidents were speeding. Larios said, on average, the MSAR responds to about four motorcycle accidents every weekend.
“That’s a lot,” he added.

Larios advised riders who want to race to go to the track, not the Crest. There are also many obstacles in addition to the windy roads on the Crest, including rocks, oil and even deer on the road, he said.
“People will come around the corner going anywhere from 50 to 80 miles per hour and hit a rock or even a deer,” Larios said of what he has seen on the Crest.
There are riders who are cautious and well trained but they, too, can face an unexpected situation that ends with them laying down their bikes on the asphalt.
So the advice for all motorcyclists is that they should drive like every upcoming turn could be their last.