6 motorcyclists died on South Coast roads in the last month, including 3 this week
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Fatal crashes involving motorcyclists have increased in the last month. There have been six along the South Coast since May 30. Five of those crashes were in Santa Barbara County and one in Ventura County.
Shannan Sams is a spokesman the California Highway Patrol. He said, "Motorcycles are going to be out there. We've got to do our part to pay attention for them. A few of the collisions that I did review recently were due to the other driver making unsafe turns."
The latest crash happened Thursday morning in the Santa Ynez Valley. A biker group was out riding on Baseline Avenue east of Santa Ynez when they say their friend was killed in a head-on collision. Motorcyclists said a big concern is distracted driving and other drivers not seeing motorcyclists on the road.
Two of the crashes involved the motorcyclist hitting the center divider of the highway. Three others involved a collision between a motorcycle and a vehicle. And the other crash Santa Maria Police officers said they only found the motorcyclists when they responded to the call.
California Highway Patrol officers encourage drivers to be on the lookout for motorcyclists. Check mirrors and blind spots often, especially before changing lanes or turning. And for drivers to be extra careful to avoid collisions with motorcycles because they’re highly likely to cause injury or death.
