NORFOLK, Va,. (WVEC) -- May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. As summer heats up more and more bikers are out.
Deadly motorcycle accidents are a reminder that it's important to always drive safely.
Riding fast may be fun, but there's a time and place for it.
"Such as a track environment, not on the road," said "Test Ride Rick," a motorcycle salesman at Bayside Harley-Davidson in Portsmouth.
Riding at a responsible speed is just one aspect of biker safety.
"Maintain your motorcycle correctly, also check it out every time you ride. Whether it's air pressure, whether it's shock adjustments," he added.
You also need a U.S. Department of Transportation-approved helmet and mental clarity.
If someone is riding on the back, set expectations. It's important to know your route and control your environment.
"It's lane positioning, it's lighting, it's sometimes pipes, it's how you pass people. How you maintain your distance," said Rick.
Drivers also need to watch out for bikers and leave some driving distance. In addition to blinkers, motorcyclists may use hand signals.
"Bikers may motion that they are gonna turn left by placing their arm out to the left, that they're gonna turn right by placing it up, or stopping, placing it down," he said.
If drivers happen upon a downed biker he said don't remove any protective equipment, wait for first responders.
If you're interested in taking biker lessons at Bayside, which is instructed by the Tidewater Motorcycle Safety Training Program, visit http://www.tmstrain.com.