Motorcycle safety is a point of emphasis this month in Washington

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

A couple weeks back, Vancouver police officer Sean Donaldson was called to the scene of a collision between a motorcycle and a truck.

The motorcycle was going 67 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone. The driver of the truck turned in front of the motorcycle, never seeing it.

The rider … did not survive.

As a former motorcycle rider himself, that hits home with Donaldson.

“It’s fun to ride out there. But the thing we have to remember as motorcycle riders, we don’t have airbags, we don’t have four wheels,” Donaldson said. 

Riders have to go the speed limit, he said. Crashes at highway speed on city streets? The riders rarely survive, the officer said.

There is an increase of Motorcycle Safety Patrols this month, emphasis patrols as part of Target Zero. Donaldson was on an emphasis patrol Friday night in Battle Ground during Harvest Days. Target Zero is a statewide campaign with a mission to have zero deaths on state highways and roads by 2030.

“As the summer months hit, especially in the Pacific Northwest, a lot of people like to ride motorcycles,” Donaldson said. “We get good weather three months out of the year. People like to be out in the sunny weather, ride their motorcycles, and be outdoors.”

It is a good time to remind riders to ride safely, for drivers of cars and trucks to drive responsibly, as well, to be aware of motorcycles on the roadways.

“During the patrols, we are focused on unsafe behavior on the part of motorcyclists or other drivers who would be dangerous to motorcyclists,” Donaldson said.

The target for riders is speeding, reckless driving, or erratic lane changes. For drivers of cars and trucks, it could be looking for drivers who are failing to yield to motorcycles.

Statistics show that most fatalities or serious injuries suffered by motorcycle riders are caused by motorcycle riders. Donaldson estimates he has investigated around 100 crashes involving motorcycles. He can remember only one case that was the sole fault of the driver of the car.

“Speed is the No. 1 thing,” Donaldson said. “I know it’s fun, but it’s not worth your life. Going 50 or 60 on a city road isn’t appropriate. I’d hate for somebody to be doing something they love, like riding a motorcycle, and hurting themselves because they were going faster than they should have been going.”

The emphasis patrols for motorcycle safety started earlier this month and will continue through much of July.

“Our priority is education and enforcement,” Donaldson said. “I’m a firm believer that if I can educate somebody and just educating them will affect their behavior, I think a warning will suffice.”

However, repeat offenders will not be getting a warning. It’s an automatic ticket if a previous ticket or warning has not helped the rider make a change in behavior.

It’s Target Zero, after all. No deaths on the roadways is the goal.

Motorcycle riders, please go the speed limit, Donaldson said. 

And drivers of other vehicles, watch out for motorcycles.