May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Laramie County Sheriff's Office is reminding drivers and riders to use extra caution.

According to information from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, there were 17 fatal motorcycle crashes in the state last year, three of which occurred in Laramie County.

"We would like to hope that the riders are wearing all the protective safety equipment, even though there is no helmet law in the state ... because the road is very unforgiving," said Deputy Jeff Barnes.

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"If you scrape the road, you're certainly going to receive some extensive injuries and possibly even a fatality," he added.

Barnes also encourages motorcyclists to drive with their headlights on and stay out of driver's blind spots.

"Motorcycles are very hard to see," he said. "If cars cannot see you trying to pass, it's very difficult for them to use caution also."

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