It’s that time of year again.

The days are getting longer, the sun is getting warmer, school is (almost ... wait for it) out for summer.

The roads are getting more crowded as well, with cars, trucks and SUVs — and motorcycles. They’re the summer vehicle of choice for hundreds of thousands of people across the state. According to PennDOT data, more than 845,000 Pennsylvanians had a motorcycle license last year.

The rising popularity of the vehicles isn’t due to more young people on the road, according to scientists. In a 2013 study published in the journal Injury Prevention, researchers found that its older riders who are gravitating to the vehicles. Between 1999 and 2003, the number of motorcyclists on the road over 50 years old rose from about 1 in 10 to 1 in 4.

At the same time, researchers reported, the average age of riders involved in crashes has been climbing as well. Injury rates among elderly riders rose by 145 percent over a six-year period. Compared to younger motorcyclists, elderly riders were 2.5 times more likely to end up with serious injuries, according to the study.

Getting onto a motorcycle is indisputably more risky than getting into a four-wheeled vehicle. In 2016 — the last year for which state data was available — motorcycles were involved in just 2.7 percent of all crashes in Pennsylvania, but accounted for 17.4 percent of all fatal crashes.

Butler County sadly added a name to the list of 2018’s fatal crashes earlier this week, when 63-year-old Donna Bachman was killed in a motorcycle crash near her home in Jefferson Township.

There’s no indication that Bachman did anything wrong before the wreck that claimed her life — she was even wearing a helmet, a precaution that’s not mandated by law in Pennsylvania, but one we surely support people choosing to exercise.

The crash illustrates an oft-cited adage attributed to motorcycle riders: “There’s no such thing as a fender bender” for a motorcyclist.

There are no air bags, no metal cage or seat belt; motorcycles are harder to see, and there is little to no room for error.

That’s why it bears repeating every year: keeping our roads safe is everyone’s responsibility.

Slow down, check your mirrors — then check them again — check your blind spots; signal before changing lanes or turning. These things should be routine for every single driver, but we see people driving carelessly — and even recklessly — every single day.

Motorcycle riders and drivers should share the road, be vigilant, nip aggressive and distracted driving in the bud, and work toward ensuring that everyone can enjoy the forthcoming summer season rather than mourning the passing of another free spirit on two wheels.