TxDOT Urges Drivers To ‘Look Twice For Motorcycles’ To Decrease Motorcycles Fatalities

Motorcycle crashes also are more severe than other types of crashes because motorcycles lack the protective and safety features of other vehicles……. 501 motorcyclists died in 2017 in crashes on Texas roads…

TxDOT’s statewide “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” motorcycle safety and public awareness campaign urges motorists to look twice for motorcycles especially at intersections and when changing lanes, the two places where serious motorcycle collisions commonly occur.

Why should drivers be aware of motorcyclists when traveling Texas roads?

On average, a motorcyclist dies in a crash on Texas roads every day. In 2017, 501 riders lost their lives and 2,101 were seriously injured in motorcycle crashes. About half of fatal motorcycle crashes result from a car or truck colliding with it, often because drivers simply don’t see it or misjudge how close it is and how fast it’s traveling.  

The small size of motorcycles compared to other vehicles on the road means they can appear to be farther away than they are, and it’s easy to misjudge their speed. The combination of congested roadways, distracted driving, and the difficulty of seeing motorcycles in traffic has led to far too many preventable fatalities each year.

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 for serious crashes involving motorcycles. From 2010 to 2015, 25 percent of crashes involving motorcycles occurred when one vehicle turned left in front of an oncoming motorcycle, likely due to the driver not seeing the oncoming motorcycle.

Motorcycle crashes also are more severe than other types of crashes 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:

  • May 4 – Austin
  • May 5 – Temple
  • May 6 – Houston
  • May 18 – Dallas-Fort Worth (Frisco)
  • May 19 – Midland

 

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One Comment

  1. Thanks for this tips, yes whenever we cross the pedestrian lanes, we should always look twice, because sometimes the motorist are the ones who are fast driving. Thanks for sharing this content.

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