Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month just got underway, and Texas officials have launched a campaign — “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” — to remind drivers to stay alert and keep an eye out for riders.
In the aftermath of many motorcycle accidents, drivers of larger vehicles say they never saw the bike. With that in mind, the Texas Department of Transportation has urged drivers to play a little game: keep a tally of all the motorcycles you see. Officials hope that getting drivers to count bikes will raise awareness and encourage drivers to share the road.
Throughout the state, events have been planned around motorcycle safety. TxDOT has organized motorcycle processions involving the Texas Patriot Guard Riders. The volunteers are known for carrying American flags in funeral motorcades for fallen emergency workers, police officers and soldiers, but over the course of May, the riders will carry black-and-yellow flags promoting motorcycle safety.
In recent years, the annual number of motorcycle accident deaths has steadily risen in Texas. In 2012 there were 470, and in 2013 there were 494. Last year, of all the motorcycle crashes across the state, 4,339 involved another vehicle, and many of them occur at intersections where bikes collide with cars or trucks.
As you know, roads along the Interstate 35 corridor are very crowded, and along with safety precautions on the part of motorcyclists, drivers of cars and trucks can do a few things to help ensure motorcycle safety:
- Look twice
- Use your rearview mirrors for every lane change
- Use your blinkers
- And leave ample space between you and riders
Source: KAGSTV.com, “TxDOT Motorcycle Safety Campaign Urges Drivers to Help Reverse Rise in Deadly Crashes,” May 2, 2014
