Foxboro PD Support Motorcycle Awareness Month With Orange Ribbons

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Foxborough police decked their cruisers and motorcycles with orange ribbons to recognize Motorcycle Awareness Month.

In 2019, there were 5,014 motorcyclists in the U.S. killed in crashes, police said. Those deaths accounted for 14 percent of all crash fatalities. So Foxborough police said they want to make more people aware of motorcycles before summer.

Police said the warm weather and the easing of coronavirus restrictions means more vehicles will be on the road, and some of these drivers are new, creating more of a need for motorcycle awareness.

"Many of these new drivers have not been on the roadways with motorcycles," Foxborough police said in a statement. "Our hope is the spotlight on motorcycle awareness will remind all vehicle operators to look twice and safe a life."

Police said they have a limited supply of free ribbons available for residents to tie on their mailbox and smaller ones for other places. The free ribbons will be in the Foxborough Public Safety Building's front lobby while supplies last. The public safety build is located at 8 Chestnut St.

The National Safety Council offered the following tips to avoid crashes with motorcycles.

• Allow greater distance to follow behind a motorcycle.
• Drivers must also show extra caution in intersections.
• Drivers should never try and share the lane with a motorcycle. Always give motorcycle full lane.
• Motorcyclist should position their motorcycle to avoid drivers blind spot.
• All drivers should look twice before lane changes and use directional.