During spring cleanup
- Sweep up all loose sand and debris from the roads. Sand and loose gravel on the pavement can be especially dangerous because it can cause motorcyclists to lose control.
- Be mindful of low shoulders and depleted gravel—get graders out and reclaim shoulders, and compact them the best you can.
During construction and maintenance activities
- Be mindful of abrupt elevation changes, such as uneven pavement lanes during paving.
- Use care when replacing underground utilities. Pave trenches as soon as possible; a temporary patch is much safer than a gravel patch. Gravel patches will need to be maintained more frequently, costing you time and materials.
Ongoing
- Check and monitor the pavement surface quality. Areas to look for include longitudinal grooves from pavement milling, rumble strips, and sections of rough or broken pavement.
- Be mindful of pavement friction properties of paint markings, glass beads after pavement markings, steel plates, and so on.
- Watch for loose gravel and sand.
- Put thought into your use of liquids on the pavement surface; oil and other products can cause many issues for motorcyclists.
(Adapted from “Motorcycle Safety Awareness” by Tyler Tommila, New Hampshire LTAP Road Business, summer 2023.)