How Motorcycle Awareness Month Can Help Keep NYC Riders Safe

Every May, drivers across New York City see more motorcycles on the road. Warmer weather brings riders out on the FDR, the West Side Highway, and the bridges connecting the five boroughs. Motorcycle Awareness Month reminds everyone that these riders have the same right to the road as any car or truck.

New York City is one of the most challenging environments in the country for motorcycle riders. Narrow streets, aggressive traffic, constant construction, and distracted drivers turn every ride into a test of attention. The stakes during riding season are high across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

This post covers the latest traffic crashes and traffic fatalities data, what makes NYC streets especially risky for riders, New York motorcycle laws you need to know, safety tips that actually prevent crashes, and what your rights look like after a motorcycle accident.

What Is Motorcycle Awareness Month and Why Does It Matter in NYC?

May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched the campaign to push one clear message: Motorcyclist Safety is everyone's safety. That matters in New York City more than most places.

NYC has some of the densest traffic conditions in the country. The FDR Drive, West Side Highway, Cross Bronx Expressway, and BQE all see heavy motorcycle traffic once spring arrives. Add in constant lane changes, double-parked cars, potholes, and pedestrians stepping into the street, and riders face hazards most drivers never think about. More bikes on the road in May mean more chances for a car driver to miss one at an intersection or during a lane change.

The whole point of Motorcycle Awareness Month is to get drivers to look twice. Most riders killed in New York crashes are hit by another vehicle. That fact should change how every driver approaches a left turn, a lane change, or a glance in the mirror.

Motorcycle Awareness Month also pushes riders to take a fresh look at their own habits. Is your gear up to date? Have you taken a refresher motorcycle training course? Is your motorcycle endorsement current? May is the month to answer those questions honestly.

What Are the Most Common Motorcycle Awareness Month Themes?

Every May, safety campaigns across New York and the country repeat a handful of core messages. These slogans stick because they work. Each one targets a specific driver behavior that causes the most motorcycle crashes.

• Look Twice, Save a Life: This is the most recognized motorcycle safety slogan in the country. It tells drivers to glance once, then look again before turning, merging, or pulling out. Motorcycles are small and easy to miss the first time. That second look catches the bike the first one missed.
• Share the Road: Sharing the road means motorcycles have the same legal right to a full lane as any car or truck. Crowding a rider, tailgating, or treating a bike like it belongs on the shoulder puts lives at risk on NYC streets.
• Motorcyclists Are Everywhere: NHTSA uses this message to fight the assumption that motorcycles only show up on weekends or in warm months. In New York, bikes are on the road most of the year. Drivers who expect to see them are the ones who actually do.
• Start Seeing Motorcycles: This slogan pushes drivers to train their eyes to scan for smaller vehicles. A car-sized silhouette is what most drivers look for at intersections. Riders get missed because drivers aren't looking for the right shape.
• Ride Smart, Ride Safe: This message speaks to riders directly. It covers helmet use, safety gear, motorcycle training, and staying sober. New York safety agencies push this theme alongside driver-focused campaigns because both sides have to do their part.
• Motorcyclist Safety Is Everyone's Safety: NHTSA built its current national campaign around this line. It captures the whole point of Motorcycle Awareness Month in one sentence. A rider's survival depends on every driver around them paying attention.

These themes aren't just bumper sticker slogans. They point to the exact driver behaviors that cause the most traffic fatalities involving motorcycles in New York City and across the state. A driver who actually looks twice at the Queensboro Bridge on-ramp, or who gives a rider full space on the FDR, is the reason a crash doesn't happen that day.

How Dangerous Are New York Roads for Motorcycle Riders?

New York is one of the more dangerous states in the country for motorcyclists, and NYC is the most dangerous part of the state. The numbers back that up. According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, the state consistently sees thousands of motorcycle crashes and well over 150 motorcyclist deaths per year.

NYC DOT and NYPD crash data show riders make up a small fraction of the vehicles on the road but account for a disproportionate share of traffic fatalities every year. Most of the people killed were the riders themselves. Passengers accounted for a smaller share, but the injury rates for both groups stayed high.

National data from NHTSA tells the same story in sharper terms. In 2023, motorcyclists were nearly 28 times more likely than car occupants to die in a crash per mile traveled. They made up 15% of all traffic fatalities that year even though they represent a tiny slice of the vehicles on the road.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Crashes in NYC?

Most motorcycle traffic crashes in New York City fall into a few predictable patterns. Knowing these patterns helps riders stay alert and helps drivers understand where the danger really is.

• Left-turn collisions at intersections: A driver turning left in front of an oncoming motorcycle causes a huge share of fatal crashes. This happens often at busy NYC intersections like Queens Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue, Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush, or Broadway and Canal Street. Drivers who fail to signal their intentions early only make the problem worse.
• Lane-change and blind-spot crashes: Drivers fail to check mirrors or blind spots and merge straight into a rider. Lane width on NYC streets leaves little margin for error when a driver drifts without looking. Motorcycles are small and easy to miss for someone who isn't looking for them.
• Dooring crashes: Parked drivers and passengers opening car doors without looking hit riders who are passing on the right side of the lane. This is a uniquely urban crash type that kills riders in NYC every year.
• Failure to use a turn signal: A missing turn signal gives a rider no warning. Riders rely on that one small light to know when a car is about to move. Drivers who skip the signal cause more motorcycle wrecks than most people realize.
• Speeding: NHTSA found that 36% of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes in 2023 were speeding. That rate was far higher than for car drivers.
• Impaired riding and driving: Of the motorcyclists killed in single-vehicle crashes in 2023, 41% had been drinking. Alcohol shows up in a huge number of serious motorcycle wrecks.
• Distracted driving: A driver looking at a phone for two seconds can miss a motorcycle completely. Cell phone use has become one of the biggest threats to riders on NYC streets.

Every one of these crash types is preventable. The driver or rider just needs to slow down, pay attention, and follow basic traffic laws before moving.

What Safety Tips Actually Prevent Motorcycle Crashes?

Safety advice only helps if it lines up with how crashes actually happen. The steps below come directly from NHTSA and New York safety agencies. They work.

For riders, the basics still save lives. Wear a DOT-compliant helmet every ride. New York is one of the states that still requires all riders to wear a helmet, regardless of age. NHTSA reported helmet use jumped from 66.5% in 2022 to 73% in 2023, and that shift matters. In states with universal helmet use requirements like New York, only 10% of motorcyclists killed were unhelmeted. A DOT-compliant helmet is the single most effective piece of safety gear a rider can own.

Riders should also gear up with a jacket, gloves, boots, and eye protection. Reflective tape on your helmet, saddlebags, and fenders adds visibility at dusk and after dark. Bright or reflective safety gear makes a huge difference on gray days or at night. Never ride after drinking. Take a New York Motorcycle Safety Program course. Ride within your skill level and stay out of blind spots.

For drivers, the rules are simple but ignored constantly:

• Check twice before turning left: Most fatal motorcycle crashes involve a car turning left across an oncoming bike. A two-second pause can save a life.
• Respect following distance: Leave a full four seconds of space behind a motorcycle. Lane width on NYC streets can be tight, and a rear-end crash is often deadly for the rider.
• Check blind spots every single time: Motorcycles disappear in blind spots. Mirrors alone don't cut it. Turn your head.
• Signal your intentions early: Use your turn signal well before you change lanes or turn. A rider needs time to react to what you're about to do.
• Check before opening doors: The Dutch Reach uses your far hand to open the door, forcing your body to turn and spot oncoming riders and cyclists. It prevents dooring crashes.
• Put the phone down: One text can kill someone. Drivers scrolling through their phone are a leading cause of preventable motorcycle traffic crashes in NYC.
• Yield at intersections: Most serious motorcycle crashes in New York City happen at intersections. Treat every light and stop sign like a motorcycle might be coming.

These habits save lives during May and every month that follows.

What Do New York Motorcycle Laws Say About Helmets and Licensing?

New York motorcycle laws require every rider and passenger to wear a DOT-compliant helmet. This applies to all riders regardless of age or experience. Eye protection is also required for every rider.

New York also requires a Class M or Class MJ motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license before you can legally ride. To get the endorsement, you must pass a written test and a road test, or complete a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse. This is one of the most important motorcycle laws for new riders to understand. Riding without a valid motorcycle endorsement can hurt your accident claim later.

Lane splitting is illegal in New York. Unlike California, riders in NYC cannot legally ride between lanes of slow or stopped traffic. Riders caught lane splitting can be ticketed, and insurance companies will use it against riders in any crash claim.

New York's universal helmet law is one reason the state sees lower helmet-related fatality rates than states with weaker laws. DOT-compliant helmets cut the risk of death dramatically. Riders who follow the law and wear proper gear give themselves the best possible chance of surviving a crash.

What Should You Do After a Motorcycle Accident in NYC?

The first minutes after a crash matter. Get to safety if you can move. Call 911 so police and EMS arrive and create an official report. Get medical attention even if you feel okay. Some injuries, especially head injuries and internal damage, don't show symptoms right away.

Take photos of everything if you're able. Get the other driver's insurance information. Write down the names and numbers of any witnesses. Do not apologize or admit fault at the scene. Insurance adjusters use those statements later.

New York is a pure comparative fault state. That means your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame, but even a rider found 90% at fault can still recover 10% of damages. This is a more rider-friendly rule than what you'll find in most states. Still, the other side's insurance company will push hard to shift as much blame as possible onto the rider. Having photos, a police report, and witness information protects you.

You also have three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in New York. For claims involving a government entity like the City of New York, the MTA, or the Port Authority, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days. Our motorcycle accident attorneys in New York City recommend speaking with a lawyer well before any deadline runs out.

Can You Recover Compensation After an NYC Motorcycle Crash?

Yes. New York riders hurt by a negligent driver can pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and damage to their bike. If the crash caused a permanent injury or disfigurement, the claim can also include future medical care and long-term loss of earning ability.

Motorcycle cases are different from car cases. Riders face a bias that many insurance adjusters and jurors carry into a claim, the idea that riding a motorcycle is reckless by itself. That bias is wrong, but it's real. Fighting it takes evidence, crash reconstruction, and often testimony from professionals who understand motorcycle dynamics, New York motorcycle laws, and the role sharing the road plays in every collision.

It's also important to know that New York's No-Fault insurance law does not cover motorcycle riders. That means riders can sue for pain and suffering and other damages in any injury case, without needing to meet the serious injury threshold that applies to car accident victims. This actually opens up more recovery options for injured riders than most people realize.

Our motorcycle accident lawyers in New York City know how to push back against insurance tactics and build a case that reflects what actually happened on the road.

Take Action This Motorcycle Awareness Month

May is the month to ride smart and drive aware. If you were hit while riding on the FDR, the West Side Highway, Queens Boulevard, or anywhere in the five boroughs, you have rights and a limited window to act. Call Kelner & Kelner today for a free consultation with a personal injury attorney in New York City who will fight for your recovery.

Sources:

• https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/motorcycle-safety-awareness-month-motorcyclist-fatality-rate
• https://dmv.ny.gov/motorcycles
• https://www.ny.gov/programs/motorcycle-safety-program
• https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/motorcycle-safety/motorist-awareness-motorcycles