Kenley Kirkland was in the right lane, just about to merge, when, as always, he turned to the left to make sure the driver of the vehicle to the left saw him.

The two men made eye contact and Kirkland accelerated slightly to facilitate the merge.

"He saw me," said Kirkland, 32. "He definitely saw me, and then he sped up to cut me off."

Kirkland was able to adjust at the last minute to avoid colliding with either the car or the barrier on the other side of the tapering lane. For a rider of less experience, however, the incident could easily have ended tragically.

To date, 17 motorcycle riders have been killed on Hawai'i roadways this year, compared with just seven at this point last year.

While motorcycle sales have declined over the past two years, motorcycle fatalities have increased every year for the past decade.

Hawai'i ranked third in the nation with 32 motorcycle-related fatalities last year.

Yesterday, the state Department of Transportation joined local motorcycle riders in calling on drivers to be aware of their two-wheeled brethren.

About two dozen people, many in full riding regalia, waved signs emblazoned with "Share the Road" in front of the Cycle City store on Nimitz Highway.

The DOT is airing public service announcements on local radio stations statewide.

The state is focusing much of its awareness and education efforts on O'ahu, where about 19,000 of the state's 28,450 registered motorcycles operate. Another rally is scheduled for July 4.

"Motorcycles are the smallest and most vulnerable vehicles on the road," said DOT spokeswoman Tammy Mori. "As drivers, we tend to think that we own the road, but motorcyclists have the same rights to the road as we do. A lot of accidents can be avoided if we pay more attention to what we're doing and are aware of our surroundings."

DOT deputy director Jiro Sumada said that more than half of all motorcycle fatalities in Hawai'i involve another vehicle.

Last year, 5,154 motorcyclists were killed in highway accidents. Of these accidents, 2,332 involved another type of vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Kirkland has lost two friends to motorcycle accidents. One lost control while taking a turn; the other was forced off the road by a car that crossed the center lane.

Kirkland said yesterday's rally may inspire some drivers to be more aware, but he fears that the majority of drivers won't get the message.

He acknowledged that some people will look at him as a stereotype: a relatively young military serviceman on a high-performance sport bike.

But Kirkland said he rides his anniversary edition Yamaha R-1 (a birthday present from his wife) with extreme caution simply as a matter or survival on O'ahu's roads.

"Some drivers look at us as 'organ donors' — that's what they call us," he said. "But if they think about something that they love to do, it's the same for us. We love to be out there with the wind blowing."

Rick Cadiz, 42, of Wai'anae said he rides his Harley Davidson Heritage Springer with all senses heightened.

"On a motorcycle, you don't have a fender bender," he said. "You have a body bender. Drivers don't pay attention, so you have to be looking 360 degrees."

Sterling Lau, president of the Blue Knights motorcycle club, said the recent spate of motorcycle fatalities has been a sobering reminder that both motorcyclists and drivers need to remain vigilant of each other.

"We all just want to get home safe," he said.