In 2018, 119 people died in Illinois motorcycle crashes.

In Kane County, we saw seven motorcycle at least fatalities in a matter of a few weeks in 2016 — and we know, with the weather about to change for the better, that there’s a strong likelihood we’ll see more deaths here soon.

That’s the reason for this article: to stop and think for a minute about how we can prevent those deaths from happening this year.

How does that happen?

First, we follow the lead of the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and motorcycle safety advocates to remind all users of the road to Start Seeing Motorcycles.

Although motorcycles represent 3 percent of total vehicle registrations in Illinois, they account for 12 percent of traffic fatalities.

“We are encouraged to see a decrease in motorcycle fatalities in 2018, but the only acceptable number is zero,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “We continue to work to make our roads safer, but we need everyone’s help by sharing the road and eliminating distractions, especially with warmer spring temperatures bringing out more motorcyclists.”

Take Precautions

All riders are urged to take precautions to increase their visibility. Recommendations include wearing appropriate protective gear, performing regular maintenance checks and enrolling in IDOT’s free motorcycle safety courses to learn or brush up on riding skills.

“With May the beginning of the traditional riding season, there will be many riders out enjoying the beauty Illinois has to offer,” said Illinois State Police Acting Director Brendan Kelly. “To riders, we ask that you make yourself as safe as possible by gearing up with protective riding apparel, and we encourage you to seek out quality training. To all other roadway users, focus on your drive by clearing all distractions. Vulnerable populations such as motorcyclists all too often pay a heavy price for inattention.”

IDOT’s Start Seeing Motorcycles campaign is made possible through teamwork with ISP, the Gold Wing Road Riders Association, A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education (ABATE) and other organizations that promote motorcycle education, awareness and safety.

The newly updated startseeingmotorcycles.org provides more information about free motorcycle training and safety programs.

10 Traffic Deaths in Kane So Far

Click here to see the up-to-the-minute fatal crash data for any part of the state of Illinois.

There have been 10 traffic fatalities in Kane County so far this year, according to IDOT’s Fatal Crash Data page.

The good news is there are 75 fewer fatalities this year than there were at this time last year. There have been 235 fatalities as of today (Wednesday, May 1, 2019), compared to 310 at this time last year.

SOURCE: IDOT’s Fatal Crash page