Preparing for heightened motorist and biker safety for summer 2021

DELMARVA – As summer ramps up, more traffic is expected here on Delmarva. However, with that increase state transportation officials are also asking people to be aware of others, especially when it comes to bikers. “The day you get on your bike without saying a prayer and remembering to respect that piece of machinery, that’s not going to be a good day,” says Linda Wainer a Biker member with “A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments” of Maryland.

Another local biker we spoke with says, speed is always a big concern. She says some bikers and motorists don’t understand how dangerous going over the speed limit can be. “Then there’s people going down the road at about 90, that’s just as bad,” says local biker, Kim Vallejo. She adds “Either you or someone else is going to get hurt or killed, it’s just not the way to go.” Vallejo also tells us, a good biker is always aware of their surroundings on the road, but she says others motorists should be too.

A public relation specialist with the Delaware Office for Highway Safety (DOHS) says, they have already surpassed their amount of vehicle related fatalities compared to last year; 42 deaths in Delaware in 2021, 19 just in the month of May, and seven of those were bikers. According to Cynthia Cavett with DOHS, “We have not had that high of a number for a month let alone May for a month in general for a very long time.” She goes on to express the concern the department has had this year.

To address these highway concerns, experts say it comes down to holding each other accountable on the road. “We’re literally all trusting one another to stay in our lane, follow the rules of the road, and for all of us to get to our destinations alive. It’s a large amount of trust,” says Cavett.

Bikers tell for everyone, things like clearing the road way of grass clippings, checking all your blind spots while driving and simply being aware of other motorists and bikers on the road could mean life or death. That’s something roadway experts say will help everyone have a safer summer. “If we could heighten vehicle drivers awareness just a little bit, we would be a whole safer,” says Wainer.

We spoke with both Delaware department of transportation as well as Maryland’s department of transportation, they both emphasize the need for safety gear like a helmet while riding.

DOHS and M-dot say they have multiple resources on their website to take defensive driving courses as well as biker safety courses.

You can find those resources by clicking here for Delaware and here for Maryland.