Careless motorists as well as riders get special scrutiny

The Glendale Police Department will be conducting a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation on Sunday, September 8th in an effort to lower deaths and injuries. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes occur. Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle crashes. They will be cracking on those under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, making illegal turns, or any other dangerous violation. 

Motorcycle fatalities saw a phenomenal drop of 37 percent from 2008 to 2010, but rose nearly 18 percent in 2011. Operations like this aim to bring those numbers back down. 

Last year, Glendale Fire and Police personnel responded to 25 traffic collisions involving motorcyclists resulting in 22 injured parties and fortunately no fatalities. The Glendale Police Department reminds all motorists to always be alert and watch out for motorcycles, especially when turning and changing lanes. 

As the economy turns upward, there will likely be more miles driven by all vehicles, plus more novice motorcycle riders who are untrained and unable to handle the power of today’s motorcycles. 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.