Improving Motorcycle Safety NA16051aj

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will be conducting a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation on Sunday, March 20, 2016, from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. in the LAPD Foothill Area in an effort to lower deaths and injuries. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle traffic collisions occur. Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle collisions. They will be focusing on both those operating regular vehicles and motorcycles who are violating traffic safety laws.

Motorcycle fatalities jumped dramatically in California by over 28 percent from a decade low of 352 in 2010. In 2013, 453 motorcyclists lost their lives, which is at a 5 year high. California collision data reveals that primary causes of motorcycle-involved crashes include speeding, unsafe turning and impairment due to alcohol and other drugs by both riders and drivers alike.

Operations like this are aimed at curbing any more rises in motorcycle deaths and sending the numbers back downward. Over the course of the past two years, motorcycle involved traffic collisions have resulted in 1,529 fatal and injuries in the City of Los Angeles.

Since March is the typically the beginning of the riding season and as a result many motorcycles have been dormant in garages over the past few months, the LAPD recommends the riding public have their motorcycles serviced by a certified mechanic. Proper air pressure, tire tread wear, brake conditions, fluid levels, and a myriad of other inspections will be conducted by the mechanic to ensure the motorcycle is safe to operate on the open highways.

Riders are urged to get training through the California Motorcyclist Safety Program. Information and training locations are available at http://www.californiamotorcyclist.com/ or 1-877 RIDE 411 (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. The message to all drivers and motorcyclists is: share in the responsibility and do your part by safely “sharing the road.”

MEDIA NOTES: To schedule an interview regarding the Los Angeles Police Department traffic safety efforts, please contact Officer Don Inman, Traffic Coordination Section, at (213) 486-0690.