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Look Twice For Motorcycles

There were 501 motorcyclists killed in 2017 crashes on Texas roads

 

TxDOT urges drivers to ‘look twice for motorcycles’ to decrease motorcycle fatalities.

AUSTIN – As part of National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May, the Texas Department of Transportation’s “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign is urging drivers to observe for motorcycles. Crashes killed 501 and seriously injured another 2,101 motorcyclists in Texas last year.

“Nobody wants to take a life in a crash or lose a loved one,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “Motorcycles are small, they’re hard to see, and it can be difficult to judge their speed and distance. That’s why it’s critical that drivers take extra precautions to look twice for motorcycles, especially at intersections.”

Intersections are particularly risky areas of severe crashes involving motorcycles. From 2010 to 2015, 25 percent of accidents involving motorcycles occurred when one vehicle turned left in front of an oncoming bike, likely due to the driver not seeing the rider.

Motorcycle crashes also are more severe than other types of accidents because motorcycles lack the protective and safety features of other vehicles.

To help everyone arrive safely at their destination, TxDOT’s “Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign urges drivers to:

Look twice for motorcycles, especially at intersections.
Always assume motorcycles are closer than they appear.
Avoid turning in front of an oncoming motorcycle.
Use turn signals and check blind spots before changing lanes.
Avoid following a motorcycle too closely.
Give motorcyclists a full lane.
Obey posted speed limits.
This year’s “Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign will conduct events around the state to coincide with National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and the start of the spring/summer driving season. The stops will feature a virtual reality game designed to educate motorists to look twice for motorcycles. Campaign tour stops are:

April 26 – El Paso
April 28 – San Antonio
April 29 – Corpus Christi
May 4 – Austin
May 5 – Temple
May 6 – Houston
May 18 – Dallas-Fort Worth (Frisco)
May 19 – Midland
To learn more about the campaign, visit TxDOT’s website.

For media inquiries, contact TxDOT Media Relations at MediaRelations@txdot.gov or (512) 463-8700.

The information contained in this report represents reportable data collected from the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3). This information was received and processed by the department as of April 12, 2018.