COEUR d'ALENE - Vrooom.

Sure, chirping birds sound like summer, but around here, the roar of a motorcycle is just as familiar when it comes to ringing in the warm weather season.

Yes, it's nearly time to swap pants for swimsuits, collar shirts for sun screen.

It's also time to start looking out for motorcycles - those recognizable hogs that cruise around Lake Coeur d'Alene in droves all summer long.

"There are going to be a lot of motorcycles on the road this summer," said Dave Cazel, former secretary treasurer of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education of North Idaho, and representative to the national Motorcycle Rider's Foundation. "It's imperative that vehicle drivers share the road."

It can be easy for motorists to overlook two-wheelers when surveying oncoming traffic. And motorcyclists can take it for granted that other drivers see them. It's important the two work together.

"We have to look out for each other," said Cazel, an avid rider since the 1960s. "We don't have much of a chance when we get hit."

To keep motorcycle awareness at the forefront, ABATE of North Idaho is hosting its 12th annual Awareness Parade and Rally at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

The free event, rain or shine, starts at the Kootenai County Courthouse, 451 Government Way, and cruises down Sherman Avenue to 23rd Street, ending at 11 a.m.

Cazel said an informal, old-fashioned motorcycle swap meet will take place at Charlie's Acres in Rathdrum later in the day.

Guest speakers at the rally will include Idaho State Sen. Bob Nonini and Stacey "Ax" Axmaker, director of the Idaho STAR (Skills Training Advantage for Riders) Motorcycle Safety Program.

Coeur d'Alene won't be alone.

Hundreds of riders will be participating in awareness rallies across the state. Motorcycle awareness encompasses many aspects, from looking twice when crossing roads and utilizing rear-view mirrors to wearing the proper gear and bike maintenance.

"Let's be as safety conscious as we can," Cazel said.

According to the Idaho Transportation Department's website, the number of motorcyclists killed in motor vehicle crashes decreased from 28 in 2010 to 17 in 2011. But almost two-thirds of fatal motorcycle crashes in 2011 involved just the motorcycle, while more than one-third of fatal motorcycle crashes involved an impaired driver.

ABATE's mission is: "The purpose of this corporation is to form an educational, charitable, and political group, to promote motorcycle safety, education, freedom of choice legislation and to provide a more favorable environment for motorcycle riders and the communities in which they reside."

For more information, call Cazel at 771-1774.