CLEVELAND, Ohio — As the weather begins warming up, more rubber will be burning on the road, which means ensuring your safety as a motorist and watching out for motorcyclists.
The number of motorcycle-involved crashes in Cuyahoga County so far this year has yet to be publicly released, but just last year, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office reported 1,665.
From 2021 to 2025, there were 19,674 motorcycle-involved crashes across the state.
"It fell 10% in 2025 compared to 2024, so we're moving in the right direction with the number of total crashes, but every rider really plays a role in keeping 2026 on that downward trend," Ohio Traffic Safety Office, which oversees Motorcycle Ohio, Public Communications Coordinator, Judy Converse, said on Wednesday.
Nine percent of those crashes involved motorcycles, which is more than twice the rate in crashes overall, according to Converse.
"Our motorcycle related fatalities are also on a downward trend the past two years falling 11%. It's the lowest yearly fatal crash total in five years. Cuyahoga County leads the state in motorcycle related crashes," Converse said.
In the last week, at least two motorcyclists have died in Cleveland.
The first one happened last Friday, May 15.
A motorcycle traveling westbound on St. Clair Avenue was struck by a grey Hyundai Elantra that was attempting to turn left on East 118th Street from the eastbound lane, police said.
When the motorcycle was struck, the motorcyclist attempted to lay the bike on its side, at which point he was struck by the Hyundai's rear end, police said.
The driver of the Hyundai failed to stop after striking the motorcycle and continued traveling northbound on East 118th Street, police said.
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The next deadly motorcycle-involved crash happened the following day, May 16, shutting down a portion of I-480 West near Ridge Road.
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The Cleveland Accident Investigation unit is investigating the motorcycle crash, which left a 20-year-old dead, the Cleveland Division of Police said.
According to police, the 20-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene by EMS.
David Rosenblatt, president of Shul Boys of Cleveland and a longtime motorcyclist, said from his experience, a lot of crashes happen due to a motorist being on their phone.
"The most dangerous thing for a motorcyclist is people in cars with their cell phone. It only takes a moment for them to brush up against you or bump you and you know something, a little bump that you might even not call your insurance company for in a car can knock somebody off their bike, can break their arms, their legs, or worse," Rosenblatt said.
Rosenblatt has suffered a bad accident recently, too. He said the young driver who hit him was unfortunately on her phone.
"The bike fell on me. I broke both bones in my leg, from between my knee and my ankle, broke my collarbone, had three broken ribs and a cracked scapula, and she just tapped me," Rosenblatt said.
While Rosenblatt said he wasn't the cause of his accident, he said he understands cyclists can be at fault, too.
"Young people like these very fast, small bikes, and you know, when I see them like trying to do wheelies down the street, that's dangerous for them. It's dangerous for the people in the cars. You never want to see or hear of anybody getting hurt or worse—killed, but it wouldn't stop me, and I don't think it would stop most people who like them. I think you find people either love motorcycles and nothing will stop them, or they don't like them and they'll never get on them," Rosenblatt said.
Rosenblatt said he feels one with his surroundings and the road, hence why, after 50 years of riding and a gnarly accident, he still hops on the bike.
Rosenblatt is part of a Jewish motorcycle club that has roughly 70 members ranging from college students to a U.S. Senator.
He said to be part of the group, a motorcycle license and insurance are required, and helmets are strongly encouraged.
There are also three members of the Shul Boys of Cleveland who are certified instructors through the state, according to Rosenblatt.
Before every ride, too, as a group, a safety meeting is held to ensure everyone is reminded of the rules of the road.
From there, the group rides staggered.
"Riding stagger gives you, you know, a second more to be able to get yourself out of troubles, and we're very strict about that, to be honest," Rosenblatt said.
For drivers who are around motorcyclists, he recommends being very mindful of your surroundings and double-checking blind spots.
Converse echoes the same.
She suggests motorists pick a stationary object on their drive when behind a motorcyclist. Once the cyclist hits that stationary object, count three to four seconds from there to ensure there is enough distance between you and them.
The Ohio Traffic Safety Office also offers motorcycle safety courses, whether you ride or want to have a better understanding as a driver.
There are three different courses, the first being the basics.
"You're certainly not gonna leave the course a motorcycle expert, but it's a good foundation for skills that could essentially save your life. Riders will learn skills and techniques for braking, for swerving, for, you know, cornering and curves and u-turns, you know, just in that basic course. If they've never been on a motorcycle before, they'll learn how to mount a motorcycle, how to dismount, how to turn the motorcycle on and off, how to safely ride a motorcycle, and one of the big safety things that we address in the course is helmet use," Converse said.
Converse said in the last five years, 75% of riders killed in Cuyahoga County were not wearing a helmet, which is higher than the state average.
Most safety courses through the state are two to three days long, according to Converse.
The basic level course is 16 hours, costing $75.
A motorcycle and helmet are provided by the Ohio Traffic Safety Office during instruction time.
She told me 78% of motorcyclists killed in Ohio never took the state-issued training.
Converse said she's even taken the course just to learn more and enjoyed it, feeling like a better driver overall.
Converse wants motorists to understand that cyclists don't always ride in the middle of the lane either, so again, double-checking your blind spot is crucial.
She said the top contributing factors to crashes in Ohio are following too close, driving off the road, improper passing, and unsafe speed. The state is also noticing an uptick in cyclists running red lights.
Converse suggests motorcyclists wear protective gear.
"We know these crashes can be prevented," Converse said.
If you'd like to learn more about/take the motorcycle safety course, click HERE.
