It's a beautiful season, with every tree budding, all of the lawns green. The roads are also calling to those who love to ride their motorcycles.

We recently heard from SGI's Manager of Media Relations, Tyler McMurchy, about some ways we can all ensure motorcyclists can simply, 'ride or die', and not both.

Drivers at this time of year are either noticing motorcyclists or needing a reminder to start noticing them. The smaller vehicles, including Vespas, and even bicycles, are not a typical part of the traffic flow in the cooler months. So, 'seeing and being seen' is, as always, a critical safety factor for avoiding a tragedy.

"The risk of being injured as a motorcycle rider in a crash is almost five times greater than if you were a passenger vehicle," McMurchy said.

One can easily see why the risk is so much greater.

"There's no seatbelt, there's no airbag, there's no cage protecting them," he noted. "That's why we really encourage drivers to be aware that motorcyclists are out there, and share the road with them, give them lots of space."

This is why simply being aware of the presence of riders on the roads could save a life.

One way to act on and practice this awareness, McMurchy shared, is drivers should always double-check the oncoming left-hand turning lanes for motorcyclists.

While motorcycle training courses are not a requirement for obtaining a motorcycle license, taking the course does have its perks.

"Learner motorcycle drivers in the motorcycle graduated driver's licensing program there's a fee that is added to the current drivers' license fee upon entering each of the three stages of the MGDL program, but that fee is waived for those who provide proof of successfully completing an SGI-approved motorcycle training course," he explained.

Motorcyclists (and the slower-moving cyclists and road-scooter drivers as well) can ensure their own safety by following a few important guidelines."

"All [motorcycle] riders must wear a helmet and protective eyewear, so if you're riding a motorcyle, you need to be wearing a helmet, and you need eye protection," McMurchy implored.

For new riders, there are additional requirements for safety gear.

"They need to be a specific kind of helmet either a three-quarter modular or full-face helmet, and those new riders must also have their arms and legs covered, and their hand-covering gloves and ankle-covering boots bright or reflective gear so that others can see them," he clarified."We do want people to be visible, as much as possible. For some that might mean wearing bright or reflective gear so that others can see them. Ensure the reflectors on your bike are working properly at least because you want to be seen by those other drivers."

McMurchy noted that it doesn't just come down to what you're wearing.

"It's also your manner of driving," he said. "We recommend to motorcyclists, you can make yourself more noticeable by changing positions within your lane to increase visibility as well."

Defensive driving can take a motorcyclist a long way.

"If you're on a motorcycle, you have to understand that you can't just assume that other drivers will always obey the rules, so good riders are always asking themselves what the other drivers are going to do, not what they're supposed to do," McMurchy explained.

"So you should ask yourself these three things: 'What does the other driver want to do?', 'Am I in the way?', and, 'Does that other driver see me?'"