Motorcycle law enforcement officers with their bikes parked in a row participated in a rally in Freehold on Monday to highlight Motorcycle Safety Month.

Motorcycle Safety Month (Photo by Rosetta Key, Townsquare Media)
Motorcycle Safety Month (Photo by Rosetta Key, Townsquare Media)
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The rally took place at the Monmouth County Police Academy Monday hosted by County Sheriff Shaun Golden.

State Motor Vehicle Commission Chairman Ray Martinez says motorcycle safety efforts in New Jersey appear to be working. New Jersey is one of only 16 states to post a decline in motorcycle fatalities.

"Most of the country, dramatic rise, 9 pecent rise, in New Jersey we are very fortunate that we have had a decrease of 24% over the previous year. That is not an accident"

Martinez credits the efforts of law enforcement through what he calls the Three E's in Traffic Safety: Engineering, Education and Enforcement.

Motorcycle Safety Month
Steve Scatturro - Ocean County Consumer Affairs, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, MVC Chairman Ray Martinez (Photo by Rosetta Key, Townsquare Media)
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He also attributes the decline to New Jersey's mandatory helmets law.

"I know that's not popular with a lot of riders, but according to the National Highway Safety Administration, of the national fatalities, more than 700 could have been prevented if the rider was wearing a helmet."

Martinez also says there's been a marked increase in the number of people participating in the New Jersey Motorcycle Safety Education Program.

He emphasizes that drivers also have a responsibility to share the road with bikers, which is why 14 communities around the state have put up Variable Message Signs (VMS) reminding driver's to do just that.

"By studying the data, we know that motorcycle crashes that involve other vehicles, more than half occur at intersections and more than two-thirds happen when the vehicle's driver fails to see the motorcycle."

The MVC provides a Motorcycle Safety website with additional information.

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