Several fatal motorcycle crashes occurred in the past week in Pennsylvania.
PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Recent motorcycle crashes in Pennsylvania have raised awareness for safety as more motorcycles hit the road as the weather gets warmer.
The past week saw a 17-year-old boy killed in Lancaster County after a motorcycle crash on Wednesday, along with other fatalities in Monroe and Jefferson counties.
Motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise in Pennsylvania overall, with 2023 seeing 238 fatalities, the most in 20 years in the state.
PennDOT says the springtime generally means a larger number of motorcycle crashes due to riders returning to the road when the weather is warmer.
“There’re more motorcycles on the road, [and] there’re more cars on the road, so more congestion,” said PennDOT spokesperson Fritzi Schreffler. “And then you have distracted drivers [and] you have impaired drivers.”
Schreffler says both riders and drivers need to remain alert on the roads and not take unnecessary risks.
“Leave some space between you and whatever is ahead of you, whether that’s a motorcycle or another vehicle,” Schreffler said. “You need to have that ability to make a maneuver, if possible. And that could help just make the difference.”
Schreffler says PennDOT can help refresh riders on the dos and don’ts through its free motorcycle safety courses, meant for riders of all experience levels.
“t’s just going to give you some fine-tuning,” Schreffler said. “Maybe you’ve been riding for a while, but you never took one of these classes. It’s going to give you some fine-tuning and things that maybe you didn’t think about.”
