Among the 35 new state laws that went into effect in North Carolina on December 1, 2011, is a new statute that establishes penalties for putting motorcycle riders in danger. It’s called The Motorcycle Safety Act, and it is my hope that drivers will become aware of this law and be more alert to the hazards that face motorcyclists.

When a driver forces a motorcycle to change lanes unsafely or run off the road, the driver will be cited with an infraction and fined $200. If the movement causes a crash that causes property damage or personal injury to the biker or a passenger, the fine will be $500.

Flikr - akeg's photostream

Motorcycle riders are at a higher risk on the road for a number of reasons. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers information for car and truck drivers, including this list of 10 tips to avoid crashes with bikes.

Ten Things All Car & Truck Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles

1. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don't "recognize" a motorcycle; they ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.
2. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.
3. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc). Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you're changing lanes or turning at intersections.
4. Because of its small size a motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Don't assume all motorcyclists are speed demons.
5. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say 3 or 4 seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.
6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle's signal is for real.
7. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.
8. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle's better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don't expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.
9. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can't always stop "on a dime."
10. When a motorcycle is in motion, don't think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

Although data is not complete, motorcyclist fatalities are expected to total 4,376 in 2010 nationwide, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Deaths decreased by just 2 percent – far less than the 16 percent decrease in 2009. Perhaps North Carolina’s Motorcycle Safety Act can help improve that figure.

(For a list of North Carolina’s new laws click here.)

Among the 35 new state laws that went into effect in North Carolina on December 1, 2011, is a new statute that establishes penalties for putting motorcycle riders in danger. It’s called The Motorcycle Safety Act, and it is my hope that drivers will become aware of this law and be more alert to the hazards that face motorcyclists.

When a driver forces a motorcycle to change lanes unsafely or run off the road, the driver will be cited with an infraction and fined $200. If the movement causes a crash that causes property damage or personal injury to the biker or a passenger, the fine will be $500.

Flikr - akeg's photostream

Motorcycle riders are at a higher risk on the road for a number of reasons. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers information for car and truck drivers, including this list of 10 tips to avoid crashes with bikes.

Ten Things All Car & Truck Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles

1. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don't "recognize" a motorcycle; they ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.
2. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.
3. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc). Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you're changing lanes or turning at intersections.
4. Because of its small size a motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Don't assume all motorcyclists are speed demons.
5. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say 3 or 4 seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.
6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle's signal is for real.
7. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.
8. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle's better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don't expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.
9. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can't always stop "on a dime."
10. When a motorcycle is in motion, don't think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

Although data is not complete, motorcyclist fatalities are expected to total 4,376 in 2010 nationwide, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Deaths decreased by just 2 percent – far less than the 16 percent decrease in 2009. Perhaps North Carolina’s Motorcycle Safety Act can help improve that figure.

(For a list of North Carolina’s new laws click here.)

His was a success story.

As told in the newspaper, it was a modest story, a humble one, as would befit a man who relied so strongly on his faith.

But when Kenneth Cecil Smith was just 55, the story came to an end when he was killed by a drunken driver.

The driver, 26-year-old Christopher Sheffield of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty this week to felony death by motor vehicle and driving while impaired. He was sentenced to 20 to 33 months in prison.

The crash, which took place at 9 o’clock the night of December 2, 2010, happened when Sheffield hit the victim’s motorcycle with his Jeep. His blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent.

The crash ended a life of service.

^{Image by Geograph/P Flannagan}

The motorcycle rider himself had overcome a drinking problem when he was a youth. Kenneth, sometimes known as “Kenny” to his friends, had spent the years since mentoring young men who struggled with alcohol, and was still an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

At the time of his death, he was helping an Iraq War veteran get back on his feet.

His mother said that Kenneth was a generous man who devoted his life to caring for others. He took care of his wife, who passed away a year before he did, and of his mother, nursing her after she broke her leg earlier in the year.

His obituary described him as “a very active member” of his church, and said he was a past president of the Winston-Salem Christian Motorcyclists Association, and was always available for charitable activities. Their website posts his photo and says that “he served quietly and never required recognition.” The obit even listed his “canine survivors” – homeless dogs he had taken in (Missy, Rockford, Nickie, Maverick and Bentley).

Mourners’ comments on his online guestbook said things such as “Kenny was a great person to me,” “how good he was to all,” and “he was a true friend and a brother in Christ.”

For some people, the power alcohol holds over them is a dreadful thing. In this case, it led a young man to take to the road and kill another human being. This crime stole a beloved son from his mother and a friend from the community. Society lost a man who worked to prevent the abuse of the very drug that became the source of his death.

And the man caused this death will pay a price as well. He will do his time, and come out of prison with a stain on his record that will last all his life. Remorse will haunt him all his days as well.

Kenneth’s mother said she prays that the young man will turn his life around and do the kinds of things her son did.

I admire her attitude, but I wonder if good deeds will ever be enough to atone for the heartache he caused or to free him of his guilt.

His was a success story.

As told in the newspaper, it was a modest story, a humble one, as would befit a man who relied so strongly on his faith.

But when Kenneth Cecil Smith was just 55, the story came to an end when he was killed by a drunken driver.

The driver, 26-year-old Christopher Sheffield of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty this week to felony death by motor vehicle and driving while impaired. He was sentenced to 20 to 33 months in prison.

The crash, which took place at 9 o’clock the night of December 2, 2010, happened when Sheffield hit the victim’s motorcycle with his Jeep. His blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent.

The crash ended a life of service.

^{Image by Geograph/P Flannagan}

The motorcycle rider himself had overcome a drinking problem when he was a youth. Kenneth, sometimes known as “Kenny” to his friends, had spent the years since mentoring young men who struggled with alcohol, and was still an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

At the time of his death, he was helping an Iraq War veteran get back on his feet.

His mother said that Kenneth was a generous man who devoted his life to caring for others. He took care of his wife, who passed away a year before he did, and of his mother, nursing her after she broke her leg earlier in the year.

His obituary described him as “a very active member” of his church, and said he was a past president of the Winston-Salem Christian Motorcyclists Association, and was always available for charitable activities. Their website posts his photo and says that “he served quietly and never required recognition.” The obit even listed his “canine survivors” – homeless dogs he had taken in (Missy, Rockford, Nickie, Maverick and Bentley).

Mourners’ comments on his online guestbook said things such as “Kenny was a great person to me,” “how good he was to all,” and “he was a true friend and a brother in Christ.”

For some people, the power alcohol holds over them is a dreadful thing. In this case, it led a young man to take to the road and kill another human being. This crime stole a beloved son from his mother and a friend from the community. Society lost a man who worked to prevent the abuse of the very drug that became the source of his death.

And the man who caused this death will pay a price as well. He will do his time, and come out of prison with a stain on his record that will last the rest of his life. Remorse will haunt him all his days as well.

Kenneth’s mother said she prays that the young man will turn his life around and do the kinds of things her son did.

I admire her attitude, but I wonder if good deeds will ever be enough to atone for the heartache he caused or to free him of his guilt.

His was a success story.

As told in the newspaper, it was a modest story, a humble one, as would befit a man who relied so strongly on his faith.

But when Kenneth Cecil Smith was just 55, the story came to an end when he was killed by a drunken driver.

The driver, 26-year-old Christopher Sheffield of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty this week to felony death by motor vehicle and driving while impaired. He was sentenced to 20 to 33 months in prison.

The crash, which took place at 9 o’clock the night of December 2, 2010, happened when Sheffield hit the victim’s motorcycle with his Jeep. His blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent.

The crash ended a life of service.

^{Image by Geograph/P Flannagan}

The motorcycle rider himself had overcome a drinking problem when he was a youth. Kenneth, sometimes known as “Kenny” to his friends, had spent the years since mentoring young men who struggled with alcohol, and was still an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

At the time of his death, he was helping an Iraq War veteran get back on his feet.

His mother said that Kenneth was a generous man who devoted his life to caring for others. He took care of his wife, who passed away a year before he did, and of his mother, nursing her after she broke her leg earlier in the year.

His obituary described him as “a very active member” of his church, and said he was a past president of the Winston-Salem Christian Motorcyclists Association, and was always available for charitable activities. Their website posts his photo and says that “he served quietly and never required recognition.” The obit even listed his “canine survivors” – homeless dogs he had taken in (Missy, Rockford, Nickie, Maverick and Bentley).

Mourners’ comments on his online guestbook said things such as “Kenny was a great person to me,” “how good he was to all,” and “he was a true friend and a brother in Christ.”

For some people, the power alcohol holds over them is a dreadful thing. In this case, it led a young man to take to the road and kill another human being. This crime stole a beloved son from his mother and a friend from the community. Society lost a man who worked to prevent the abuse of the very drug that became the source of his death.

And the man who caused this death will pay a price as well. He will do his time, and come out of prison with a stain on his record that will last the rest of his life. Remorse will haunt him all his days as well.

Kenneth’s mother said she prays that the young man will turn his life around and do the kinds of things her son did.

I admire her attitude, but I wonder if good deeds will ever be enough to atone for the heartache he caused or to free him of his guilt.