Motorcycles take to the roadways for Labor Day events

Motorcycle traffic on Iowa’s highways and interstates is expected to be very heavy in the next several days due to several two-wheeler events underway over Labor Day weekend. Mark Maxwell, of Des Moines, is a spokesman for a non-profit motorcycle rights group. The world’s largest antique motorcycle swap meet is being held in Davenport, Harley Davidson is holding its 100th anniversary celebration in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and there are several smaller motorcycling events underway across Iowa. Maxwell is spokesman for ABATE, A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education. He encourages drivers and soon-to-be drivers to take part in a free traveling program when it shows up in their communities. Maxwell says “Share The Road” is a motorcycle awareness and education program designed to decrease the number of accidents and fatalities. Maxwell says car drivers often don’t see the motorcyclist because they haven’t been trained to look for them.He says motorists should watch out for motorcycles and learn to, as the name says, share the road. He says motorists should -not- pull out if front of a motorcyclist.Because of their smaller size compared to cars, he says it’s a common misconception that motorcycles are going slower than they really are — while they can’t stop on a dime either. Triple-A is projecting the highest Labor Day travel since 1995 with 84-percent of holiday travelers expected to travel by motor vehicle.