Summer is riding season in lakes country, and the roads are full of boat trailers, campers, farm equipment and motorcycles. That is why the Otter Tail County Safe Communities Coalition and the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office are joining the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a simple message: A motorcyclist’s safety is everyone’s safety.

“Motorcycles are smaller and harder to spot, so take an extra second and look twice at intersections, at driveways and before pulling out of the lake access,” said Sergeant Allen McKesh of the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office. “That one second can save a life.”

Speed and alcohol are the two biggest dangers for riders. National data shows 37% of motorcycle riders in deadly crashes were speeding, and 40% of riders who died in single-vehicle crashes had been drinking. Rural roads add risks of their own, including loose gravel, deer, and slow-moving farm equipment.

“If you ride, ride sober, watch your speed and wear the right gear every single time,” said Emily Frustol of the Otter Tail County Safe Communities Coalition.