Michigan relaunches Motorcycle safety campaign after 168 deaths
Michigan’s Department of State relaunched its annual “Look Twice. Save a Life.” motorcycle campaign for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May 2026. The effort again asks drivers to look twice for riders on state roads, where more than 610,000 licensed motorcyclists are registered.
In 2024, Michigan recorded 3,187 crashes involving a motorcycle and another vehicle, and those crashes led to 168 fatalities. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a proclamation urging motorists to drive defensively and cautiously.
Aghogho Edevbie on driver attention
Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie tied the relaunch to the start of motorcycle season. “As motorcycle season returns to Michigan, we’re reminding drivers to be attentive and on the lookout for motorcyclists,” Edevbie said.
He also said, “Motorcyclists are more vulnerable on the road and are sometimes hard to see. Being aware, eliminating distractions behind the wheel and looking twice – can save a life of someone’s family member, friend, or loved one.”
Byran Heiss on intersections
Byran Heiss, president of the Michigan Driver and Traffic Safety Association and owner of the Buckle In Driving Academy, said motorcycles move differently than other vehicles. “Motorcycles are smaller, faster, harder to see and they turn and stop quicker – that’s why all drivers need to increase their following distance behind a motorcyclist and take more time to scan and search at intersections,” Heiss said.
State crash data from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning shows 84% of motorcycle crashes involving another vehicle happen on busy streets, and most of those crashes occur when other vehicles are turning left. Data from 2021 through 2023 also shows 53% of fatal motorcycle crashes involving another vehicle happened from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., with the highest concentration between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., and most crashes with motorcyclists happened from Friday through Sunday.
Motorcycle fund and survey
The campaign draws money from the Motorcycle Safety and Education Awareness Fund, which the Michigan Legislature created in 2017 and finances with $2.50 from each original motorcycle title application. A 2025 survey commissioned by the department found a 50% increase in Michigan drivers who say they always look twice for motorcyclists before turning since the campaign began in 2019, and more than seven in 10 drivers ages 18 to 29 recalled seeing the message.
For drivers, the practical step is simple: slow down at intersections, check mirrors and blind spots before turning, and keep extra space behind a rider. Those habits match the state’s own crash data, which places many of the most serious collisions on busy streets and during left turns.
