Look twice with motorcycle events in the Valley this week

By Doug Pacey / ADOT Communications

If you travel on the Loop 101 Agua Fria and Pima freeways this week between Glendale and Scottsdale, you’ll probably encounter more motorcycles than usual. That’s because motorcycle-magnet events Arizona Bike Week and Phoenix Bikefest have set up operations in those locations.

The Arizona Department of Transportation doesn't have a stake in either event, but with extra motorcycles this week on Valley freeways we saw an opportunity to remind drivers of four-wheeled vehicles how they can help keep safer their two-wheeled counterparts. That’s why you’ll see this message on some overhead signs this week:

We’ve posted a variation of this message on our overhead signs in the past. Occasionally, we received responses on social media from drivers of cars asking why the onus falls on them to look out for motorcyclists. The fact is a vehicle’s blind spot can hide a motorcycle. More importantly, drivers of cars and operators of motorcycles must take more responsibility for their individual actions. Speeding is a leading factor in traffic fatalities involving motorcycles, just as it is for cars, too.

For more information on motorcycle safety, check out the Arizona Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Foundation’s website.