DECATUR (MCT) — Motorcycle riders itching to get back into the saddle should understand the risks and take care, local bikers and Illinois Department of Transportation officials said at a Decatur news conference Wednesday, ringing in the riding season that for some never really ended this past winter.

Terry Redman, manager of the motorcycle safety and certification courses the state provides for free, spoke alongside members of the Decatur chapter of the Goldwing Road Runners Association and ABATE Illinois at World of Powersports. Redman said bikers make up about 3 percent of motorists in Illinois, yet account for 16 percent of vehicular fatalities.