The reflexes are rusty and the intersections remain covered in sand. It’s a bad combination for anyone taking to the roadways on a two-wheeled vehicle this week.

Throw in the customary natural intoxicant of spring in the air, and we have a dangerous combination for anyone on a motorcycle.

Last week, a 23-year-old Farmington man was tragically killed when he ran a motorcycle into some trees only minutes after borrowing it from a friend at a local watering hole and restaurant.

Justin A. Maurer became the first sad statistic in what is a springtime ritual – death by motorcycle.

Speed, officials said, was a contributing factor in the fatal accident. But it’s reasonable to assume that Maurer’s lack of familiarity with the motorcycle in question was another.

Too often, such accidents have a combination of causes that are, perhaps, most apparent in hindsight. Although it has not been listed as a factor in the Maurer death, alcohol is a leading ingredient in other tragedies.

Any moving vehicle is dangerous. Motorcycles are particularly so. There are many things riders can do to improve their odds of avoiding or surviving an accident.

Start your spring riding under the best conditions – daylight and with little traffic around. If you’ve never ridden before, by all means take one of the class sessions advertised in the paper.

Be extremely wary of spring road conditions – frost heaves, potholes and sand. Resist the urge to open it up and let it roar for a few rides.

Wear a helmet, turn on the headlight, anticipate dangerous situations and, by all means, avoid the showboating. Several times last year, riders were killed while doing stunts.

Don’t become a spring statistic.