The Countdown Has Begun!

10 Days to Biketober Fest!  

I saw these billboards and signs up last year during Bike Week and thought to myself, I like those signs, Short, Sweet and To The Point! I didn't know who thought of it or who sponsored it, but I did like it.

They are already going up in the Daytona Beach Area(I think they should be up year round myself) in preparation for Biketober Fest, our annual shortened October version of Bike Week.

This year Biketober Fest is "Officially" from October 18-21. Unofficially? Oct 12-21 at spots like the White Eagle (we'll talk about that SOON!)

Anyway, back to the slogan..

Volusia County recently put together a task force (a "multi-agency task force") to get folks in four wheelers to notice those of us on 2 wheels during our Bike Week & Biketober Fest when "thousands of bikes are in town".

The county adopted the slogan from Kathy and Patrick Malone who developed it in memory of their son, Lance, 25, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in DeKalb County, Ga., in 1995. They then formed a Non Profit Organization called The Lance Malone Motorcycle Awareness Inc., so they could raise awareness about motorcycle safety.

Some of the "Multi-Agencies" included on this "task force" are the Volusia County Sheriff's Dept., Halifax Community Health System, Department of Transportation, Daytona Beach/Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce, Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Daytona Beach Hotel/Motel Association, and the Daytona Beach Fire and Police departments just to name a few.

Here are some safety tips to practice 24/7-365:

Check your blind spots before changing lanes.

Double-check traffic at intersections before you turn or pull out.

Leave at least a four-second distance between your car and a motorcycle in front of you. Note when a motorcycle passes a point in the road. Don't tailgate!

When passing a motorcycle, give a full lane to the motorcycle.

Failure to yield right-of-way can result in the death of a motorcyclist.

Photo courtsey of Volusia County.