‘Motorcycles are on the road too’: taking extra precautions to keep the roads safe

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – As we enter summer, you’ll start to see more motorcycles — meaning everyone on the road needs to take even more precautions.

J.W. Miller has been riding motorcycles since he was thirty years old and has a message for drivers.

“Motorcycles are on the road too,” he said. “You need to look twice. Motorcycles are there, they’re quick. We have headlights on, and a lot of us Harley riders, we’re loud. You can hear us coming.”

In addition to focusing on the road, Officer Chad Gillen with the Sioux Falls Police Department says drivers should take an extra second to judge distance and speed of an oncoming motorcycle before turning in front of it.

“It’s harder to do because most motorcycles only have a single headlight and with a single headlight, it’s harder for the human brain to judge the distance of speed of that motorcycle as it’s coming towards them,” Gillen said.

He says drivers just need to pay extra attention when motorcycles are on the road.

“The other two most common types when it’s the car’s fault is the car encroaching in their lane, where they didn’t check their blind spot and started making a lane change,” Gillen said. “And the one that’s on the rise is actually being rear-ended by a car while waiting in traffic.”

And motorcyclists should pay close attention to the cars and trucks around them as well.

“Number one deal, you get on a motorcycle, you got to drive defensive,” Miller said.

Two days ago, KELOLAND’s Don Jorgenson and his wife were involved in a crash that sent them both to the hospital. On Monday, police say an SUV turned in front of Don’s motorcycle. The driver got a ticketed for a left turn violation.

Don and his wife are in the hospital tonight and say they are receiving great care. He says life can change in an instant and they feel fortunate their injuries were all that happened.