Annual Motorcycle Awareness Parade Happens Saturday

Hundreds of bikers at noon Saturday will join the annual parade through Casper to mark the beginning of motorcycle awareness month.

Casper Police will provide an escort for the bikers for the 10.5-mile route, and the parade will significantly affect traffic.

The parade begins at the eastside Walmart, heads west on Second Street then through the Old Yellowstone District, goes north over the Poplar Street bridge, turns east and back to East First Street, then east on the Old Yellowstone Highway to Hat Six Road and ending at the Hat Six Travel Plaza.

To keep bikers and motorists safe, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers these tips:

• If you are turning at an intersection and your view of oncoming traffic is partially obstructed, wait until you can see around the obstruction, sufficiently scan for all roadway users -- pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists -- and proceed with caution.
• Slow down your decision-making at intersections.
• Reaction time and ability to assess and respond to a potential collision, such as a lane change, is significantly hindered if there are large differences in speed among vehicles in traffic.
• Be diligent in modifying your speed to match other vehicles when approaching a congested roadway.
• Allow a motorcyclist a full lane width. Though it may seem as if there is enough room in a single lane for a motor vehicle and a motorcycle, looks can be deceiving. Share the road, but not the lane: A motorcyclist needs room to maneuver safely.
• Because motorcycles are smaller than most vehicles, they can be difficult to see. Their size can also cause other drivers to misjudge their speed and distance.
• Size also counts against motorcycles when it comes to blind spots. Motorcyclists can be easily hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot. Always look for motorcycles by checking your mirrors and blind spots before switching to another lane of traffic.
• Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic. This allows motorcyclists to anticipate your movement and find a safe lane position.
• Do not be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle — it may not be self-canceling and the motorcyclist may have forgotten to turn it off. Wait to be sure the rider is going to turn before you proceed.
• Allow more follow distance — three or four seconds — when following a motorcycle; this gives the motorcycle rider more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. Motorcycle riders may suddenly need to change speed or adjust their lane position to avoid hazards such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.

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