From May 8-15, 2022, Eaton County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 899 calls for service/events. Higher call volumes occurred in the following areas: Traffic Stops-199, Suspicious Subject/Situation/Vehicle-75, Traffic Violations-50, Assist Citizen/Motorist Assists-37, Check Well Beings-33, Alarms-28, Domestic Disputes-25, Property Damage Crashes-25, Traffic Hazards-20, Shoplifting Complaints-17, Property Damage Hit & Run-15, Car/Deer Accidents-14, Personal Injury Crashes-13, Civil Complaints-12, MDOP-10, and Suicide Threat/Attempt-9.
Motorcycle Safety – Motorcycle riding is a favorite pastime for many motorists. It takes the increased awareness of drivers and the motorcyclists working together to keep everyone safe.
Tips for Drivers:
- Take an extra moment to look for motorcycles. A motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car's blind spots, so check — then check again — before changing lanes or making a turn.
- A motorcycle may be closer than it looks. A motorcycle may look farther away than it is, and it may be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it appears.
- Keep a safe distance. Motorcyclists often slow by rolling off the throttle or downshifting, thus not activating the brake light, so allow more following distance.
- Understand lane shifting. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind.
- See the person. When a motorcycle is in motion, see more than the motorcycle, see the person under the helmet, who could be your friend, neighbor, or relative.
Tips for Riders:
- Be visible. Wear bright clothing and a light-colored helmet. Always have your headlight on, day and night, and avoid riding in blind spots of cars and trucks. If possible, flash your brake light when slowing down and before stopping.
- But pretend you are invisible. If you assume others on the road can’t see you, and any car that can hit you will hit you, you will learn to notice every detail in your surroundings. Take extra responsibility for your safety and ride defensively.
- Gear up every ride. Wear proper riding gear from head to toe. Full-face helmets provide the best protection, and jackets, pants, gloves, and boots that are made for riding will generally be made of abrasion-resistant material.
- Use good street strategies. Constantly search the road for changing conditions and use the Search-Evaluate-Execute strategy (SEE) to assess and respond to hazards before you have to react to an emergency.
- Before you ride, check over your bike. Make a habit of doing a pre-ride check, which includes looking over your tires and wheels, checking fluids, cables, your bike’s chassis, lights and electronics, and the stands.
Yours in Public Safety,
Sheriff Tom Reich