Motorcycle Awareness Month kicks off with a call for safety and remembrance at the Oregon capitol this weekend.
PORTLAND, Ore. — May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and riders and advocates will gather at the Oregon State Capitol this Saturday to promote safety and honor those lost on the road.
The event begins with a governor’s proclamation, followed by a ceremony recognizing the 66 motorcyclists killed in Oregon crashes in 2025. Organizers will read the names of fallen riders and hold a moment of silence.
Advocates say the event is both a memorial and a reminder: safety on the road is a shared responsibility.
In Oregon, there are roughly 290,000 motorcycle endorsements and 130,000 registered bikes —meaning about one in ten drivers is also a rider, according to Patrick Hahn with the Team Oregon Motorcycle Safety Program,
That connection underscores how far-reaching motorcycle safety really is.
“This is what motorcycle safety awareness is, the rider training, it doesn’t just benefit the riders, right?” Hahn said. “What we do also benefits those riders’ families who depend on them to come home every day safely. It also benefits those riders’ employers and the organizations who depend on those riders to show up for work every day. And it benefits riders’ communities.”
Hahn, a longtime rider and instructor, says safety training focuses on what motorcyclists can control — like wearing protective gear, riding sober and adjusting to conditions — but awareness from drivers is just as critical.
That’s where organizers say one of the biggest challenges comes in: visibility.
Paula Leslie, a lobbyist for motorcycle riders with ABATE of Oregon, points to a concept called “inattentional blindness” — when drivers fail to see something simply because they aren’t expecting it.
“If you’re not looking for a motorcycle, you’re not gonna see it,” Leslie simply stated.
Leslie says that split-second oversight can have deadly consequences, especially at intersections, where many crashes occur.
Saturday’s event also aims to highlight the need for continued education, awareness, and policies that protect riders as road conditions — and vehicle technology — continue to evolve.
But at its core, the message is simple: As riding season ramps up and more motorcycles return to Oregon roads, drivers are urged to stay alert, check twice at intersections and give riders the space they need.
For advocates and families alike, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month is about more than safety campaigns — it’s about saving lives.
