Taconic State Parkway Poses Serious Safety Risk to Local Motorcyclists

This Summer and Fall many of our friends, clients and relatives will be traveling on the Taconic State Parkway from Westchester up into the Hudson Valley through Putnam, Dutchess and Columbia counties.

The Taconic is a very scenic route, but it is a dangerous highway. The posted speed limit is 55MPH but many motorists, including motorcyclists, drive as if it were an interstate. The Taconic has curves. A New York State Trooper describes the Taconic as “…a different beast than the other highways.”

There have been too many fatalities on the Taconic. Too many motorcyclists have gone down. Too many motorists have left the roadway in one of the Taconic’s many turns. On a Sunday afternoon in February under a blue sky, with temperatures in the 60’s, a young 22 year old man lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a center guardrail. He had taken the lead in a pack of 6 headed north on the Taconic into Putnam County. Police say he failed to negotiate a turn.

Please take the Taconic State Parkway seriously:

• Don’t treat it as a super highway.
• Don’t drive on it as you drive on the NYS Thruway.
• Don’t pass unnecessarily.
• Try to stay in the right hand lane.

The Taconic parkway is not the Autobahn. There has been too much tragedy on this scenic roadway, so please be careful.

If this message gets through to one motorcyclist or driver who will now ride the Taconic more safely, then it has been worth posting. Just remember that a young man or woman on a motorcycle is not immortal. Although speed and danger may produce an adrenaline high, that high is not worth tragedy. Whether you are on a motorcycle or in a car, please drive responsibly whether on or off the highway.

To speak with an experienced New York and New Jersey Motorcycle Accident attorney absolutely FREE, call Fellows Hymowitz Rice at 845-639-9300.

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