Pennsylvania has more than 120,000 miles of roads to explore, so it stands to reason that the state is popular with motorcycle enthusiasts. In fact, there were more than 800,000 licensed motorcyclists in the state in 2017. Unfortunately, with this many cycles on the road comes the inevitable dark side of the story — motorcycle accidents and deaths. Lots of them.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that motorcycle deaths occurred 27 times more frequently than fatalities involving other vehicles.

Motorcycle fatalities are most common between mid-May and September. To underscore this statistic, four area motorcycle drivers were killed in separate area crashes since mid-May, the most recent one in Schuylkill County over this past weekend.

In that one, a Pine Grove man lost control of his motorcycle on Route 443 in Washington Township, also known as Deturksville Road, and crashed into a traffic sign and rock wall. Police say he was traveling too fast for road conditions.

In the others:

• An Allentown man was killed in that city on June 9 when his motorcycle was struck by a car.

• A Bangor motorcyclist was killed on June 29 on Route 57 near Phillipsburg, New Jersey, when his vehicle hit a tractor-trailer.

• A Pocono Summit cyclist was killed on June 30 in Chestnuthill Township in Monroe County when his vehicle and a car collided head-on.

• A Palmerton woman, who was a passenger on a motorcycle that collided with a car in May at Routes 248 and 145 in Lehigh Township, Northampton County, died from injuries suffered in the crash that seriously injured the driver, also from Palmerton.

Among the most serious nonfatal accidents, a Schuylkill County man was injured in late May in North Union Township when his cycle failed to make a curve and crashed into a large boulder. Along with that one, there were a dozen motorcyclists or their passengers injured during the most recent two-month stretch in the Times News’ five-county area.

In 2016, 172 motorcycle drivers and 18 passengers were killed on Pennsylvania roads. Nationally that year, 4,976 drivers and passengers were killed. Motorcyclists account for 13 percent of all crash fatalities. Motorcyclists accounted for 7.7 percent of all alcohol-related crashes, while passenger vehicles accounted for 4.9 percent of these types of crashes.

Safe motorcycling takes balance, coordination and good judgment. This is why inexperienced drivers need to be extra careful about choosing the roads on which to ride.

I am amazed to see the number of motorcycle drivers in shorts. I realize that this type of attire may be more comfortable in the summer, but if a driver is thrown from his or her bike, there is precious little protection from road scrapes and burns, to say nothing of more serious injuries.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the best hope a motorcyclist driver or passenger has for protecting the brain is a helmet. Some helmets, in addition to offering protection to the head in a crash, include plastic face shields that offer protection from wind, rain, insects, dust and stones thrown up by other vehicles.

The federal agency recommends that if the helmet doesn’t have a face shield, riders and passengers should wear goggles, because eyeglasses and sunglasses will not offer sufficient protection.

In addition, safety agencies say arms and legs should be completely covered, preferably with heavy material. Boots or shoes should be high enough to cover ankles. Sandals or open-toed shoes should never be used when operating or riding on a motorcycle.

They also recommend wearing brightly colored clothing with reflective material making them more visible to other drivers.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has a comprehensive motorcycle safety campaign called “Live Free, Ride Alive.” Its aim is to reduce the number of motorcycle crashes and fatalities.

The program also aims to reduce aggressive driving by obeying the speed limit, avoiding drinking and driving and encouraging the use of protective riding gear.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com