May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, designed to encourageall drivers and motorcyclists to share the road with each other.Increased awareness of motorcycle safety has helped improve thenumber of injuries and fatalities of motorcyclists.

In 2014, 4,586 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes, adecrease of 2.3% from 4,692 in 2013. Those deaths account for 14%of the total highway fatalities that year. This decrease inmotorcycle fatalities continues to break a tragic trend over thelast 17 years, which saw only one other decline in 2009. Injuredmotorcyclists also decreased from 93,000 in 2013 to 88,000 in2014.

Safe riding practices and cooperation from all road users willhelp continue to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries onU.S. highways, but it is especially important for motorists tounderstand the safety challenges faced by motorcyclists (such assize and visibility) and motorcycle riding practices likedownshifting and weaving to know how to anticipate and respond tothem. By raising motorists' awareness, both drivers and riders willbe safer sharing the road.