May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month — a time to remind all drivers to take extra precautions to make sure they share the road safely with these often "invisible" drivers on motorcycles.

Watch this video from the Texas Department of Transportation that reminds drivers to always look twice -- before turning, merging with traffic, changing lanes or opening doors -- to make certain a motorcycle isn't in your path.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers the following safety tips:

• Though a motorcycle is a small vehicle, its operator still has all the rights of the road as any other motorist. Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.
• Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.
• If you see a motorcycle with a signal on, be careful. Motorcycle signals are often non-canceling and could have been forgotten. Always ensure that the motorcycle is turning before proceeding.
• Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.
• Always allow more following distance — three to four seconds — when behind a motorcycle. This gives the motorcycle driver more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.
• Never drive distracted or impaired.

To start a motorcycle insurance quote, visit this page or contact our office at American@Am-Ins.com or at (208) 746-9646 or online here.

Source: NHTSA