Summer is the time for people wanting to head out on the open road, and while it may be a fun time for driving, it’s also a time to be cautious of neighbors on the highway.

May is recognized as Motorcycle Safety Month, a time to remind motorists to be aware of the motorcyclists that populate the road during the summer. In Louisa County this year there has been one reported accident. Last year there were three reported accidents in the county. All three of them occurred between June 25 and July 5. Louisa County Chief Deputy Josh Helscher describes a commonality of these accidents, “In three of the four accidents that I’ve spoken about between 2016 and 2017 they were a result of a motor vehicle failing to yield the right of way to the motorcycle. So that means they pulled out in front of the motorcycle at a thru intersection, or they made a turn in front of the motorcycle while a motorcycle had the right of way.” Helscher urges motorists to be cautious and on the look-out for motorcycles, especially during holiday weekends.

Safety Education Officer Sergeant Scott Bright with the Iowa State Patrol says visibility is an issue for the end of summer as well, “We see a lot, during the later summer months when the crop seasons, if we have corn that’s ready to be harvested. We have a lot of fatalities around that time of year because it’s harder to see a motorcycle coming to an intersection than it is a car. And so we do see an increase in fatalities in the September, October months when the harvest is occurring.”

There have been 12 reported motorcycle fatalities in the state so far this year, and there were 60 fatalities in 2016. Of those 60 fatalities, 47 were not wearing a helmet. Bright stresses education for both motorists and motorcyclists on being wary of each other, and though it is not a law, Bright encourages motorcyclists to wear a helmet.