Daytona Beach in Volusia County is known for more than just its beaches. The city happens to house the Daytona International Speedway, famous for its NASCAR races.
Each year thousands of motorcyclists drive into town to participate in the 10-day long event. In recent years, approximately 400,000 motorcyclists would pack into Daytona’s streets for the week to enjoy the event together. However, 2021 is going to be different. With Coronavirus still ever-present in the United States, Daytona had to step up the game when it came to precautions.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Bike Week, but the celebration will be limited to 60% capacity in nearby hotels and businesses, such as restaurants and bars. As for the outdoor events, they won’t be affected as much. There will still be many live bands performing in vacant lots across town. And empty storefronts will likely still be rented out to become tattoo or souvenir shops.
Daytona Beach Bike Week 2021 is Scheduled for March 5-14
Daytona Beach Bike Week 2021 is presented by the Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce. The dates for this year’s bike week are March 5th to 14th, 2021. This will be the 80th anniversary of the Daytona Beach Bike Week, so it couldn’t be missed.
Whether or not to fully cancel Daytona Beach Bike Week was a big decision that was not taken lightly. And while COVID-19 is still a threat to many, Daytona still chose to hold this motorcycle festival without major precautions in place.
While people are required to social distance and wear masks while inside, it’s hard to regulate a large crowd of motorcyclists speeding down the streets.
How can the Daytona Beach Bike Week be Safely Held?
Several businesses in Daytona have stated that the 10-day period in which Bike Week takes place accounts for up to 40% of their annual revenue. Losing out on this money could cause businesses to close their doors.
All involved businesses have pledged to follow occupancy limits, perform temperature checks, offer hand sanitizer, and enforce social distancing. If these precautions are not followed, the business may have its Bike Week business license suspended for up to three years.
Daytona has also announced a mask mandate that applies only to indoor businesses. Attendees are not required to wear a mask when attending events outside, such as concerts. Most of the Bike Week happenings occur outside, so this indoor-only mask mandate isn’t much help.
Attending Bike Week could indirectly harm someone else—someone who wasn’t even in attendance at the festival. For example, say you attend Bike Week and develop asymptomatic coronavirus. You never know that you have it, and you pass it on to multiple other parties. They may get sick and even pass away from the virus that you passed on to them. Larger crowds like Bike Week could unintentionally cause this problem.
Safety Tips for Daytona Beach Bike Week
Staying safe during Daytona Bike Week is important. The week can be hectic and dangerous if you don’t follow these safety precautions:
- Be on the look out for “No-Zones”. These are areas in which you shouldn’t drive, like in a commercial truck’s blind spots. If you drive in a truck’s blindspots, they won’t be able to see you and may cause an accident by switching lanes or merging, not knowing that you’re there.
- Keep your helmet on whenever you’re operating your motorcycle. While you may not be required by law to wear a helmet at all times, wearing one will decrease your risk of traumatic brain injuries if you were to get into an accident.
- Be a defensive driver. Motorcycles are small vehicles that may be overlooked by bigger vehicles in traffic. You should always be driving defensively and keeping a lookout for any potential dangers that may cause you harm.
- Don’t share lanes. It may be tempting to share lanes with your friends and ride alongside each other, or weave in an out of traffic (this is called lane-splitting) but both put you at higher risk for an accident and serious injury.
- Always make sure that your bike has been properly inspected and is in good working order before taking it out on the street.
- Don’t speed, drink and drive, text and drive, or engage in other dangerous behavior while operating your motorcycle. The best thing you can do for yourself while you ride is keep a clear head, watch out for dangers, and protect yourself.
Contact an Attorney If You’re Injured in a Motorcycle Accident
In the unfortunate even that you’re injured during Daytona’s Beach Bike Week, you should contact the talented attorneys here at Eberst Law to investigate your case to see you if you have a lawsuit on your hands. Our talented attorneys have years of experience working on motorcycle accident cases and can help ensure that you get the most compensation for the damages associated with your injuries.
For more information or a free case evaluation, please contact us online using or chat box option or by calling us at 386-224-6544.
