With the weather steadily improving, it’s likely you’ll start seeing more motorcycles during travels.

“It’ just a totally different view,” said Adirondacks & Beyond Motorcycle Safety owner Jeanne Dion. “There are no windows, there is nothing there, so you really get to experience more.”

But with the thrill comes some potentially dangerous situations.

“I actually was on the interstate and a lady had a puppy in her lap and didn’t see me,” Dion said.

According to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, there were 201 fatal motorcycle crashes across the state in 2021, a 52% increase from 2019, when there were 132.

“Thirty-seven percent of those people did not have a safety course behind them,” Dion said. “And that’s huge.”

It’s why every year during the month of May there is an effort across the nation to raise motorcycle safety awareness.

“Driving a car is second nature,” Dion said. “We spend so much time in our vehicles, so really remembering to stay focused and being aware of everything that’s going on around you will make the biggest difference.”

As an instructor, Dion preaches the tips year round and emphasizes precautions riders should take as well.

“When you get on a motorcycle, you invest in your motorcycle, you invest in your gear,” she said. “Why don’t you invest in yourself and take an extra class and kick up your safety?”