Before we get to this bulletin from the NH Department of Safety, let me add a few words of my own to all you cell-phone gabbing, sandwich-eating, hair-combing, child-scolding, line-crossing, light-running, no-signal-using, driving-with-intent-to-murder (plural expletive): Please pay attention to the road and others using it while you are driving, before you kill someone like me.

Thank you.

And now, a message from the New Hampshire Department of Safety: 

As the weather beings to get warmer, more and more motorcycles will be on the roadway.  It is important for all drivers to be aware that in heavy traffic motorcycles could be hidden from view.  Be alert and constantly aware.

Anticipate hazards and be prepared to react to poor road conditions, such as debris or oil slicks, railroad tracks or raised manhole covers.

Do not tailgate motorcycles; they require less stopping distance than other vehicles.

Sharing the road will save lives.  Motorcyclists and motorists abide by the same traffic laws.  To avoid collisions, obey speed limits and traffic signals.  Motorcycles maneuver faster than a car, so you should always check your mirrors twice and be aware of the blind spots on your vehicle.

In New Hampshire every rider under the age of eighteen must wear a helmet approved by the Director of Motor Vehicles.  The helmet must be equipped with either a neck or chin strap. 

If a motorcycle is not equipped with a windshield or screen which protects the driver’s eyes and face when the driver is sitting erect, the driver shall wear either eyeglasses, goggles or a protective face shield when driving the motorcycle while the motorcycle is in motion. 

Auth / Captain John G. LeLacheur,