How Many Motorcyclists Does it take to Wash a Windshield?

The snow has melted, the sun is higher in the sky and the temperature is rising. Is it global warming? Maybe. Is it spring? Probably. Is it motorcycle season? Definitely!

Soon, Minnesota’s 100,000+ bikes will be back on the roadways. To herald this joyous occasion, motorcycle riders from across Minnesota are teaming up, getting their hands wet, and having fun, all in an effort to remind motorists to "Start Seeing Motorcycles!"

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety, motorcycle organizations, chapters, clubs, and individual riders statewide will join together on May 6 to staff rest areas and offer free windshield washes to motorists. The sparkling windshield symbolizes the need for a clear view so that people can see motorcycles better. This year, 38 clubs, chapters, and organizations will staff 25 public rest areas and Travel Information Centers, wearing bright yellow T-shirts, scrubbing windshields clean, chatting with motorists, and handing out safety information and bumper stickers. Not only is this a great way to kick off the riding season, it’s also a way to remind motorists that there are human beings under all that leather!

While entire clubs will each participate in the event at their chosen rest areas, two representatives from each club have been invited to wash windshields alongside DPS employees at the "Metro" Washout site in the Minnesota Zoo parking lot in Eagan. KDWB will be there to help promote the event with their Sky Box and a radio personality from 10 a.m. until noon. Last year, the zoo site was a great success, with many enthusiastic motorcyclists cleaning many curious motorists’ windshields.

For the second year in a row, Fox Packaging Company and Polaris Industries are generously sponsoring the Washout. Last year, Fox supplied hundreds of gallons of "Splash" washer fluid; actually, so much was donated last year that DPS had more than enough to use this year! To show their support again, Polaris’ Victory Motorcycles has donated another leather jacket to be given away on the air to one lucky participant. Sorry, DPS employees not eligible!

The enthusiasm for the Washout is tremendous and continues to grow. Planning began in January, with clubs e-mailing, calling, faxing, and mailing in their registrations. Most clubs volunteer to work the same rest area year after year, and every season, new clubs are added to the list as word of the event spreads. (The idea of a Midwest Washout is being tossed around for 2001, with organizations from Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio all showing serious interest.) Some clubs staff a rest area for the whole day, while others split the day into morning and afternoon shifts with another club. Still other clubs volunteer to work together at the same rest area to get the word out to motorists: "We’re back! It’s time to Start Seeing Motorcycles!" But why is this so important to them?

The failure to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is a predominant cause of motorcycle crashes. Many motorists claimed they "didn’t see" the motorcycle, or didn’t see it until it was too late. Because motorcycles are smaller and have less reflective surface area, not only are they more difficult to see, but it is also harder to judge how fast they’re going. A typical accident configuration is another vehicle turning left in front of a moving motorcycle, violating the rider’s right of way and blocking their path of travel. Because motorcyclists are more vulnerable than car drivers in the event of a crash, extra care needs to be taken to look for them.

Besides keeping your windshield clean, there are several other ways to Start Seeing Motorcycles. Remember that motorcycles have their headlights on at all times—this can help you pick them out in traffic during the daytime. Motorcycles can easily be hidden by a car or truck, so it’s particularly important to check your blind spot before merging or changing lanes, especially in heavy traffic. Also, watch carefully for a helmet above, tires below, or a shadow alongside a vehicle that you can’t see around. Most importantly, take a second look for motorcycles before pulling out into traffic. Motorcycles have been virtually absent from the roads since last fall, and your brain, eyes, hands, and feet haven’t gotten used to seeing them yet.

If you’re a motorcyclist, there are ways to make yourself more visible. Be careful not to hide in traffic: try to maintain a minimum two-second following distance, and use all of your lane (right, left, and center) to see and be seen. Wear brightly colored clothing: red, yellow, orange, and white are highly visible and make a rider more conspicuous. Use your turn signals for every turn, even if no one else is around. You can also combine electric turn signals with assertive hand signals to draw more attention to yourself. Finally, remember that even in daylight, motorcycles are difficult to see, even more so now that many cars have daytime running lamps. Anticipate situations where other drivers may be distracted or look right through you, and take measures to avoid them.

Any DPS employees, family, or friends are encouraged to participate at the Zoo Washout site on May 6. Help us kick off the riding season and spread the word that people need to "Start Seeing Motorcycles!"