9-04-2026 1:03pm

New York Bill Would Require ‘Watch for Motorcycles’ Signs on State Highways

Samantha Hespos Editor

A bill before the New York State Legislature could put a simple but potentially lifesaving message along state highways across New York:“Watch for Motorcycles.”

Assembly Bill A966, sponsored by Assemblymember Maritza Davila, would require the New York State Department of Transportation to install motorcycle-awareness signs on all state highways maintained by the department.

The proposed signs would clearly state “Watch for Motorcycles,” with their design, placement and installation required to comply with the state’s standards for traffic-control devices.

The legislation has a straightforward goal: make drivers more aware of the motorcyclists with whom they share New York’s roads.

A Reminder That Could Save a Life

Motorcycles can be more difficult for motorists to see than passenger vehicles, particularly at intersections and while drivers are turning, changing lanes or entering a roadway.

According to the legislative justification accompanying the Senate version of the proposal, motorcyclists are killed or seriously injured each year in crashes involving passenger and commercial vehicles. Lawmakers behind the legislation argue that roadside reminders could encourage motorists to remain alert for motorcycles and obey traffic laws governing how vehicles share the road.

A sign cannot prevent every crash.

But a sign can remind a driver to look again.

To check a blind spot.

To take another second before making a turn.

And sometimes, one additional second of attention can make all the difference.

Where A966 Stands

A966 was introduced for the 2025–2026 legislative session and is sponsored by Assemblymember Maritza Davila.

Assemblymembers David Weprin, Michael Durso, Brian Cunningham and Patrick Chludzinski are listed as co-sponsors.

The bill was referred to the New York State Assembly Transportation Committee on January 8, 2025, and again on January 7, 2026.

A companion bill, Senate Bill S2308, sponsored by State Sen. Leroy Comrie, has also been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.

Neither bill has passed its respective chamber.

If enacted, the legislation would take effect on April 1 following the date it becomes law.

The Proposal Is Not New

The effort to establish motorcycle-awareness signage in New York has been introduced during several previous legislative sessions.

Earlier versions appeared in the Legislature in 2017–2018, 2019–2020, 2021–2022 and 2023–2024.

The repeated introductions demonstrate that motorcycle awareness has remained an issue before Albany for years.

The current proposal would amend Section 14 of New York’s Transportation Law by adding responsibility for installing the motorcycle-awareness signs to the duties of the Department of Transportation.

Why This Matters on Long Island

For Long Islanders, motorcycle safety is not an abstract legislative issue.

Motorcycles share some of the Island’s busiest roads with cars, trucks and commercial vehicles every day. Intersections, left turns, lane changes and congested roadways can become especially dangerous when a driver fails to notice an approaching motorcycle.

Behind every motorcycle is a person.

A son or daughter.

A husband or wife.

A father or mother.

A brother, sister, friend, coworker or neighbor.

Motorcycle-awareness campaigns are not about placing responsibility solely on one group of road users. Riders and motorists alike have responsibilities under the law.

But motorists must remember that motorcycles have the same right to the roadway as other vehicles — and failing to see a motorcycle can have irreversible consequences.

The message proposed under A966 could hardly be simpler:

Watch for Motorcycles.

Look twice.

Check before turning.

Check before changing lanes.

Give riders space.

Put the phone down.

Pay attention.

Because when a motorcycle is involved, what might otherwise have been a minor mistake can become a life-changing — or life-ending — collision.

What Happens Next

For A966 to become law, it must advance through the legislative process, pass both the New York State Assembly and Senate and ultimately be presented to the governor.

For now, A966 remains in the Assembly Transportation Committee, while its Senate companion, S2308, remains in the Senate Transportation Committee.

Whether the proposal advances this legislative session remains to be seen.

But the message behind it does not need to wait for Albany:

Watch for motorcycles. Share the road. Look twice. A life may depend on it.

Long Island Daily News will continue following A966 and other legislation affecting motorcycle and roadway safety across Long Island and New York State.