Motorcycle riders offer safety advice after rash of deadly crashes

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Motorcyclists around the Tri-State are putting safety first this Fourth of July weekend after a rash of motorcycle crashes.

Crashes in Green Township, West Price Hill, Indian Hill, Elsmere, Union Township, Miami Township, Fort Mitchell, Millville, Wayne Township and Colerain Township left ten motorcyclists dead in June alone. Four of those crashes happened in a 48-hour span.

With traffic expected to increase over the holiday weekend, Ohio State Highway Patrol wants to make sure all riders and drivers take precaution.

“The number-one thing a guy can do on a bike to save his life is wear a helmet,” said Next Level Riders Motorcycle Club member Terrence Bass.

Fellow member Thomas Gray agrees. “One fall, your head can hit a curb, and you’re done,” he said.

A motorcyclist’s gear doesn’t stop at headwear, according to OSP-Cincinnati Post Sgt. Wade Lewis.

“Boots, pants... pads if you can,” he said.

Lewis says motorcycle riders need to stay hydrated and well rested to prevent fatigue. He also says, because motorcycles don’t have air bags, riders need to take traffic safety seriously.

“They’re a little bit more difficult to see the vehicles behind you, so it’s always wise to do a shoulder check, look over your shoulder, before you make a lane change,” he said. “A lot of crashes happen after dark, so it makes it harder for the motorcyclist to see objects and things in the roadway.”

OSP data show there have been 60 deadly motorcycle-related crashes in Ohio in 2022, but that data is only good through June 28, and it’s already out of date. It doesn’t include, for two local examples, Thursday’s crash on Blue Rock Road or the May 22 crash in Green Township that would claim the life of 24-year-old Shaquille Jacobsen a month later.

Members of Next Level Riders Motorcycle Club’s Cincinnati chapter say they know many local riders who have lost their lives on the road.

”A lot of them didn’t have helmets, like Recky said, and that’s the biggest thing you can have as far as safety,” member Chauncey Prude said.

Added member Wink Sweat, ”People in a lot of our neighborhoods complain because the mufflers on our motorcycles, because they’re loud, but it’s so people will hopefully take notice.”

Sweat says the loud noise ensures drivers take notice of nearby motorcycles before it’s too late.

The club members mostly reiterate Lewis’ advice to stay hydrated and well rested, but they also say travel time can be just as important.

“If you’re traveling far in major cities, try to time it out so you’re not hitting the city at the busiest hour,” Bass said.

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