Safety tips shared after several fatalities involving motorcycles in the Midstate

(WHTM) — PennDOT and a motorcyclist are sharing safety tips after several fatalities involving motorcycles in the Midstate over the past few weeks.

“I just I hate to keep seeing all these accidents that are happening,” said motorcyclists Sonja Mauk.

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Mauk and PennDOT say its important for everyone to be respectful and pay attention to what’s going on around you.

“If you look in your rearview mirror as a motorist and you see a motorcycle coming up, regardless of what speed they’re doing, the best thing to do is get out of their way. On the flip side, the motorcyclists you need to obey all the same laws that vehicles do on the roadway,” said PennDOT safety press officer, Fritzi Schreffler.

Experts say you want to give at least four seconds between vehicles.

“It doesn’t mean you might not be in a crash, but it’s going to allow you to have that little bit of extra time to go, oh, my gosh, what can I do to avoid this? Hit your brakes,” said Schreffler.

This time can save lives.

“We’re easily hidden. We’re in the blind spots. So just they need to be checking their mirrors and looking in their blind spots,” said Mauk.

But there are steps motorcyclists need to take. Mauk says the biggest thing she sees are riders wearing shorts or open-toed shoes.

“I cringe when I see see that because I’ve seen a lot of road rash and I’ve seen a lot of road rash badly that way. And I’ve seen where, thank goodness they’ve had on the pants or the boots or the riding gloves,” said Mauk.

Mauk also says motorcyclists use their left hand to signal. Both want to remind motorcyclists about the free motorcycle training classes through PennDOT.

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