MDOS recognizes May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by reminding drivers to “Look Twice. Save a Life.”

LANSING, Mich. - Today, the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) kicks off Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by relaunching the annual "Look Twice. Save a Life." public education campaign. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a proclamation for May 2026, calling on all Michigan motorists to drive defensively and cautiously to reduce collisions and save lives.

"As motorcycle season returns to Michigan, we're reminding drivers to be attentive and on the lookout for motorcyclists," said Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie. "Motorcyclists are more vulnerable on the road and are sometimes hard to see. Being aware, eliminating distractions behind the wheel, and looking twice - can save a life of someone's family member, friend, or loved one."

"Motorcycles are smaller, faster, harder to see, and they turn and stop quicker - that's why all drivers need to increase their following distance behind a motorcyclist and take more time to scan and search at intersections," said Byran Heiss, president of the Michigan Driver and Traffic Safety Association, owner of the Buckle In Driving Academy in West Michigan, which trains more than 4,600 students each year. "We want drivers to create good habits. It's about doing it right and not being rushed. Slow down, search, and scan more. Take a breath, look around again, and then pull out. Taking that extra second to just look around an intersection again is a big thing that every driver should do."

There are more than 610,000 licensed motorcyclists in Michigan. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning's Michigan Traffic Crash Facts (MTCF) website reports 3,187 crashes involving a motorcycle and another vehicle in 2024, of which 168 were fatal. Complete data, including crash statistics for each county, is also available at the MTCF website.

According to MCTF, 84% of motorcyclist crashes with another vehicle happen on busy streets, and most happen when vehicles are turning left. Michigan crash data from 2021-2023 shows 53% of fatal motorcycle crashes involving a motorcyclist and another vehicle happen from 4-11 p.m., with the highest concentration from 5-8 p.m. Most crashes with motorcyclists happen on the weekends, Friday through Sunday.

A 2025 survey commissioned by MDOS found a 50% increase in Michigan drivers who report they always look twice for motorcyclists before making a turn since the start of the "Look Twice. Save a Life." campaign in 2019. Drivers aged 18-29 years old report safer driving behaviors and are more likely to say they always slow down near motorcyclists, double-check blind spots, make complete stops and use turn signals than in 2019. More than 7 in 10 of this age group recalled seeing the "Look Twice. Save a Life." message.

To help drivers remain vigilant, MDOS offers these tips:

• Use caution when turning left - most crashes happen when a vehicle driver turning left doesn't notice an oncoming motorcyclist.
• Remember that streets are more dangerous than highways - a large majority of vehicle-motorcyclist crashes happen on city streets, not highways.
• Keep your distance - many motorcyclists slow down by downshifting, which won't activate the brake light. Give yourself extra stopping distance.
• Avoid distractions - distracted driving takes your attention away from the road.
• Double-check blind spots - motorcyclists can easily get lost in one of your vehicle's blind spots. Many drivers fail to check forward blind spots - such as the one created at the edge of a vehicle's windshield and driver's side window - when making a turn.
• Remember that motorcyclists are closer than they appear - the smaller size and single headlights of motorcycles make their speed and distance harder for drivers to judge.

Funding for the "Look Twice. Save a Life." campaign comes from the Motorcycle Safety and Education Awareness Fund, created by the Michigan Legislature in 2017. The fund is financed by $2.50 from each original motorcycle endorsement and $2 from each motorcycle endorsement renewal.

More information about the campaign is available at Michigan.gov/LookTwice.

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