As summer approaches and the weather warms, the number of motorcyclists on the road increases by the day.

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, as proclaimed each year by the governor of Idaho. Motorcycle awareness and safety is important for all riders and drivers sharing the road.

The first Saturday in May marks the beginning of the motorcycle season as Motorcycle Awareness Day, so ABATE of North Idaho will host its annual Motorcycle Awareness Day Rally and Parade Saturday in Coeur d'Alene.

"Our awareness day is to remind drivers that we are back on the road and to help them be aware," said Dan Ertz, ABATE Coordinator.

The proclamation, which will be read by Gov. Butch Otter from Boise Saturday, states motorcycles are energy-efficient, economical and promote tourism, but they also lack the protective armor of trucks and automobiles, increasing the risk of serious injury or death. Therefore, all motorists need to operate with caution.

"Due to the increased number of motorcycles on the roads and highways of our state and throughout the nation, and because motorcycle awareness and safety is a concern to all, it is appropriate to set aside a time to alert motorists to the number of motorcyclists on the roads and to help motorcyclists become aware of the ways they can promote safety," the proclamation reads.

Idaho Sens. Bob Nonini and Steve Vick will speak at the rally, along with Shawn Purl from the Idaho STAR Program and Idaho House Rep. Heather Scott as the keynote speaker. Ertz was unsure which topics the speakers will address this year, but speakers from the Idaho STAR Program typically discuss the importance of motorcycle education.

Ertz said ABATE (American Bikers Aiming Toward Education) aims to educate people about motorcycle safety and rights, and to educate other drivers about motorcyclists on the road, so programs like Idaho STAR are "critical" for motorcyclists.

The Idaho STAR Program is focused on training and educating riders of all levels, from new to experienced, with classes designed for the different skill levels.

Programs like Idaho STAR were threatened, Ertz said, when legislators decided a $2 tax included in vehicle registration fees money should go somewhere else because motorcycles are a minority in the state compared to other vehicles. Ertz said ABATE, with the help of the other ABATE chapters in Idaho and the Idaho Coalition for Motorcycle Safety, pushed the Legislature for a $6 tax on motorcycle registration.

"We basically taxed ourselves," he said. "I didn't think I would ever sit in front of anybody and say we are proud that we taxed ourselves, but we saved the STAR program."

Two other laws Ertz said ABATE is proud to be part of are the "left turn" and "covered load" laws benefiting motorcyclists.

Because motorcycles are smaller and weigh less than an automobile, the sensor for the traffic light at intersections does not always detect it. ABATE wrote the law that states riders can proceed into a left turn, when they can safely do so, if the light has gone through a full cycle without turning green. The covered load law, while logging and agriculture are exempt, requires road users to cover loose debris or garbage so it can not fly out and leave hazards in the road.

Ertz said ABATE is fortunate to have friends in Boise, such as Nonini and Vick who are on the Senate Trans-portation Committee, to help "keep an eye" on things like legislative issues, as well as things like road construction and how it might impact motorcyclists. He said in Washington, some of the median barriers are constructed of posts with cable between, which he referred to as "cheese cutters."

"If a motorcyclist goes down into that median and hits that, it doesn't take a great imagination to imagine what that would do," Ertz said. "Those barriers don't take into consideration vulnerable road-users, like motorcycles."

He said solid concrete barriers are better because the rider would slide along the wall and the risk of serious injury is lower.

The rally and parade is open to everyone, with all motorcycle makes and models welcome. Ertz said he would like to see at least 150 riders participate this year.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of the Kootenai County Courthouse, located at 324 W. Garden Ave. in Coeur d'Alene. The rally, featuring the guest speakers, starts at 10 a.m. and the parade will begin at 11 a.m. with a police escort to lead the group along Sherman Avenue.