Last week's death of Carroll County native Jeremy Kuns near Americus is a tragedy. The 19-year-old had been visiting his family near Delphi and was returning to his home in Lafayette on his motorcycle when a motorist, passing a vehicle, struck him headon.

With warmer weather and higher gas prices many people will be using motorcycles as a mode of transportation. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is urging all Indiana drivers to use extreme caution this spring and summer as motorcycles take to the road.

Motorcycle riders face unique challenges and dangers that drivers of other vehicles don't have to contend with. Motorcycles provide virtually no protection in an accident. For that reason, motorcycle fatalities represent five percent of all highway deaths each year, while only two percent of vehicles on the road are motorcycles.

Vehicles sharing the road with motorcycles must increase their awareness to prevent motorcycle accidents. To avoid hitting a motorcycle, drivers should expect to see motorcycles at any time, and search aggressively for them. In many car-motorcycle crashes, drivers claim they simply "didn't see" the motorcycle.

INDOTurges motorcyclists and motorists to follow these safety tips: Motorcyclists: +Stay two to four seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. +Always check your rearview mirror before slowing down. +Always wear a helmet and protective clothing. +Obey all traffic laws, signs and signals. +Practice. Car and truck drivers: +Watch aggressively for motorcycles. Motorcycles can be easily hidden in traffic. +Anticipate hazards that may confront the motorcyclist and predict how the motorcyclist may react. +Follow at least two-seconds behind a motorcycle. +Watch out when turning left. Most crashes between motorcycles and other vehicles involve turning left at an intersection.

Some situations, like the one that took Kuns' life, are out of the victim's control, but by following simple safety tips, everyone on the road can stay safer this riding season.