Spring is on its way, and that means more motorcycles will be on the road. With that in mind, the members of my motorcycle group and I are starting an awareness campaign for 2006, aimed at educating drivers on the lower visibility and higher vulnerability of motorcyclists in traffic.

The following commercial was produced by the British government, which has much harsher penalties for drivers who negligently kill motorcyclists than we do here in the United States. It is startling and somewhat graphic to watch, but it's something American drivers need to see, because it vividly illustrates how a non-chalant attitude behind the wheel can ruin lives:

http://www.timkreitz.com/howclose.mpg

Please take the extra time to look for and accommodate bikers.

Additional reading:

http://www.amadirectlink.com/justice/index.asp"