Spring is just around the corner, which means a motorcyclist or two may be as well. For automotive fleet drivers, safely sharing the road with motorcyclists should be a top priority.

Every year, approximately 5,000 motorcycle riders die in crashes. Many of these fatalities are attributed to a motor vehicle driver not seeing the motorcyclist—which means your drivers need to be vigilant because riders are exposed and extra vulnerable.

Experts offer the following advice on how to safely share the road with motorcyclists:

Double check blind spots — Because motorcycles are narrow they can disappear in your blind spot or be obscured by other objects. Experts say drivers should “look twice” over their shoulder, especially when driving on rural roads.

Use a safe following distance —Treat a motorcycle as you would a car. Leave 3 to 4 seconds of following distance.

Be extra cautious navigating intersections and changing lanes — A motorcycle may be hard to spot or seem like it suddenly appears out of nowhere. So slow down at intersections and proceed with caution when changing lanes.