May 24, 2009 9:41 pm US/Central
Motorcycle Enthusiasts Urge Drivers To Be Careful
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Sabrina Harris was saddened by fatal traffic accidents that took the lives of fellow motorcycle enthusiasts over the weekend.
CBS
It's been a deadly Memorial Day weekend on the roadways, particularly for motorcycles.
So far, five people have been killed in three separate crashes.
Police say six motorcycles collided with a car in Elburn early Saturday.
In another accident on Interstate 57, four bikes crashed.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports.
Members of various motorcycle clubs spent the night calling and texting each other to get details on the crashes. They're sad reminders of the dangers that lurk on area roads, especially during this busy holiday weekend
When Sabrina Harris gets on her bike, she knows she's taking her life into her hands.
"I'm paying attention to everything, for the car that may shoot up out of the alley when I'm coming down a one-way street," she said. "If you hit me and just bump my back tire, you could send me up and I may not be here for my kids tomorrow."
Harris says motorcycle club members all over Chicagoland are reeling after hearing about crashes that took the lives of five people in Illinois this weekend. She says she can only imagine the terror the crash victims must have felt.
"The incidents that can occur when a driver or a rider is actually trying to stop -- the chances of us sliding is more horrendous than what a car would do," she said.
But overall, Illinois is seeing fewer deaths where motorcycles are involved.
In 2007, 157 people died in motorcycle collisions, according to Illinois State Police. That number dropped to 135 in 2008.
Bikers we talked to say the only way to decrease the number of deaths is to increase awareness of motorcycle safety.
"People have this misconception about motorcycle riders that we all do wheelies going down the street, we all do 120 miles an hour," Dawn Valenti said. "No, we don't all do that."
"Just, please," she added. "If you see us coming, be careful. Know that we're not out there, we're not trying to run you off the road. We're not trying to be a nuisance. We're just trying to do what we love, which is ride our motorcycles."
Gov. Pat Quinn has proclaimed May as Motorcycle Awareness Month in Illinois.
State police have officers targeting motorcycle safety. They're on the interstates enforcing speed limits and making sure drivers pay attention to the bikes around them.
To learn more about the state safety initiative, click
here.
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