Motorcycle accidents can happen at any time, anywhere.

They can have deadly consequences.

Earlier this month, a beloved 63-year-old wife, mother and grandmother died when she crashed her cycle in Jefferson Township.

It was about noon time and she was just a few blocks from home. State police believe she lost control of the bike on gravel along Saxonburg Road.

Road hazards like gravel, dirt, leaves, grass clippings, tree limbs, animals and the like pose a constant danger to cyclists, said Tim Wiles, a retired state trooper who spent most of his 25-year police career in Butler.

“There are only two points of contact with a bike,” he said. “You have to be aware at all times.”

That was one bit of advice that the 56-year-old Wiles of Center Township, a rider since he was 16, shared in observance of May being National Motorcycle Awareness Month.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there were 3,187 motorcycle accidents in Pennsylvania last year. That was down from 3,450 cycle wrecks in 2016.

The number of fatalities declined from 191 in 2016 to 185 last year.

The drop-offs in accidents and fatalities could be attributed, in part, to fewer motorcycles on the road.

PennDOT officials said that last year in the state there were nearly 378,000 registered motorcycles — 19,000 fewer than in 2016.

The number of licensed motorcyclists fell by more than 11,000 from 2016 to 2017.

But attorney Jerry Cassady of Butler Township, a motorcycle enthusiast and a certified motorcycle rider coach, hopes the statistics also indicate bikers are improving their skills.

He and Wiles are big advocates of motorcycle safety courses.

“The unique thing in Pennsylvania,” Cassady, 59, said, “is that the training is free.”

The basic rider course, designed for beginners, offers classroom and on-cycle instruction. There are other courses available for intermediate and advanced riders.

A state-certified motorcycle safety instructor since 2004, Cassady preaches safety at all times.

His three primary tips: don't drink alcohol before riding, take a safety class and wear a full-face helmet.

“If you do those three things,” he said, “your chances of getting killed go way down.”

Defensive-driving techniques are important for all motorists but probably more so for cyclists, Wiles said.

“You have to have your wits about you,” he said. “You have to make sure you're constantly looking. Keep your head on a swivel.”

For example, he noted, two potential danger zones for riders are garage sales and ice cream stands.

“No one is paying attention there,” he said. “You have to be careful.”

Cars turning left in front of riders, Cassady said, present another typical danger.

“We have to ride like nobody sees us,” he said.

But, he noted, cyclists themselves are guilty of self-inflicted mistakes, like failing to negotiate turns, that can prove painful or fatal.

Speed, inexperience and overconfidence, Wiles added, are commonly the root of other driver-error bike wrecks.

The American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division, a nonprofit trauma prevention education organization dedicated to reducing suffering, disability and death due to trauma, provided more tips for motorcyclists:

Wear brightly colored protective gear and a Department of Transportation-compliant helmet

Use turn signals for every turn or lane change

Avoid riding in poor weather conditions

Try and position yourself in a lane where you will be most visible to drivers.

For more information or to enroll in a motorcycle safety course, visit the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program website at www.pamsp.com or call 1-800-845-9533.