On October 14, Governor Rick Snyder signed House Bill 5438 (HB 5438) into law. This bill was also known as “Nathan's Law” and the “Nathan Bower Act”, in memory of Nathan Bower, a 19-year-old motorcyclist who was killed in a motorcycle-vehicle crash in 2009. The law was signed on October 14 in commemoration of Nathan's birthday. The new law mandates that driver education curricula must include information about motorcycle and bicycle awareness and safety. Driver education programs must "include information concerning the laws pertaining to bicycles and motorcycles and shall emphasize awareness of their operation on the streets, roads, and highways of this state."

This is a great step and a huge win for Michigan motorcyclists and bicyclists. Promoting motorcycle and bicycle awareness to new drivers, from the beginning, has the potential to help save lives. Of course, while this is a step in the right direction, it is not the whole solution. Motorcycle and bicycle awareness is the duty of every driver, whether they learned it in a driver education course or not. We all have a responsibility to encourage drivers to Watch for Motorcycles and share the road.

There are many highly visible motorcycle awareness campaigns that we can take part in, and encourage our families and friends to participate in as well. If you'd like to get started with a free bumper sticker, click here. You can also join a motorcycle awareness group in your area. Get a sticker or a lawn sign, share awareness information via social media, and tell everyone you know to Watch for Motorcycles and bicycles.