Allstate Introduces Rider Risk Map
Motorcycle safety is a community concern shared by all riders and other motorists. Motorcycle traffic accident fatality rates are on the rise, with a recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association estimating the loss of 5,027 motorcyclists in 2012, a 9% increase from 2011. The numbers are sobering, and we must all do our part to help curb the problem and improve safety for all riders.
Allstate has been one a strong advocate for rider safety with its “Once is Never Enough” (ONE) program which aims to remind all motorists to keep a look out for motorcyclists. Riders have taken noticed and reached out to Allstate, eager to help promote the cause.
“We’ve definitely seen an increased level of activism from the rider community,” says Keith Rutman, vice president of Allstate’s Specialty Lines unit. “The ONE program and Allstate Motorcycle Facebook page are here to facilitate conversations about motorcycle safety awareness and start a movement to help decrease motorcycle-auto collisions in the future.”
To that end, Allstate has introduced a new Facebook application that allows people to help out by flagging dangerous locations across North America that pose particular risks to riders. With Allstate’s new Rider Risk Map, users can label risky locations and post pictures and leave comments warning others of particular hazards. Users can also see what other dangerous locations other users have identified.
This latest initiative takes Allstate’s program to a new level. Instead of relying on existing crash data where riders have already been seriously injured or killed, users can flag potential dangers before tragedy strikes.
Before heading off on unfamiliar roads, riders can check the Rider Risk Map and be forewarned about potential dangers by riders more familiar with the area.
“It’s a known fact that motorcycle collisions with autos can have some of the most tragic consequences and it's been our goal to help ensure the roads are shared safely by all motorists and riders,” says Rutman. “The ONE program has received outstanding support from the rider community and our local jurisdiction partners. We wanted to provide an outlet for people to share their stories, reach other riders and warn them on a peer level about potential risks a rider can face.”
The Rider Risk Map is just the latest in Allstate’s continuing efforts to promote motorcycle safety. Four years ago, Allstate initiated its ONE program to get motorists to be alert for motorcycles. Allstate provided driving schools and libraries around the country with intersection safety curriculum from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and worked with custom motorcycle builder Dave Perewitz to speak out about safety at major rallies such as Daytona Bike Week.
In 2010, Allstate stepped up its efforts by combing through multi-vehicle crash data and identifying traffic intersections that were particularly dangerous for motorcycles. Allstate then erected temporary warning traffic signs at those high-risk intersections asking drivers to look out for motorcyclists.
Allstate has expanded its “LOOK” sign initiative each year, adding more temporary signs to intersections at dozens of major metropolitan areas across the country. In 2012, Allstate began installing permanent signs introducing a new sign that says “Watch for Motorcycles”, receiving approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and its official Manual of Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
As of 2012, Allstate had installed signs in more than 30 U.S. cities including 16 permanent signs promoting motorcycle safety. Allstate is continuing to work with local departments of transportation across the country to identify more dangerous intersections and install additional signs. One of the latest is a new “Watch for Motorcycles” permanent sign in Strongsville, Ohio, just outside Cleveland.
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