I love Spring in Lubbock so much. I love seeing little flowers pop up on the grass, and I love to feel the combination of the warm sun and the cool breeze on my skin.

But every Spring I do have a moment of sorrowful reflection, as I remember all the friends I've lost during this time, particularly in motorcycle accidents.

If you live life on two wheels, I get it, especially during Spring. It's the perfect time to enjoy the weather on your ride.

For those of us in cars, we need to stay vigilant and look out for motorcycles. Motorcycles are only 3% of traffic on the road but represent an outsized 10% of accidents, 80% of which result in serious injuries to the rider, or their death.

Most motorcycle accidents happen at intersections.

Lubbock just loves to run red lights. This makes me crazy because intersections are where most people on bikes die due to the carelessness of other drivers. Left-hand turns for bikes are extremely dangerous because the other vehicle fails to see them. So please, please, please LOOK for them. 

Switching Lanes

Switching lanes can be dangerous for cyclists, again, because the car doesn't see them. Giving a cyclist plenty of room to maneuver is a great idea, don't "box"  them in if you don't have to, and never drive in anyone's blind spot.

Rear-Ending

If the cyclist is in front of you, give yourself ample room to stop. What would be a light tap on a car or truck because you stopped short can be deadly to a person on a bike.

Yes, sometimes its the bike rider's fault an accident happens (I'm looking at you, lane-splitters), but remember, what would be a stressful but mostly harmless accident for a car can be fatal for a motorcycle rider. Let's all do our best to be better, more attentive drivers, especially with Spring riders on the road.