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Courtesy Raul Leal,

Motorists Are Often Responsible for Deadly Car/Motorcycle Collisions

 AUSTIN—Against a backdrop of motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, and their riders, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) kicked off a statewide Share the Road motorcycle safety and public awareness campaign (www.looklearnlive.org) today to urge motorists to look twice for motorcycles at intersections and when changing lanes, the two places where serious motorcycle collisions commonly occur. 

At a time when motor vehicle fatalities are declining overall, motorcyclists are dying in record numbers. In 2009, 434 motorcyclists were killed, accounting for 14 percent of the state’s traffic deaths. Safety experts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report that more than two-thirds of all car/motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers. Without aggressive steps to promote public awareness about the dangers facing motorcyclists, the Texas Transportation Institute’s Center for Transportation Safety estimates that the state’s motorcycle death toll could double by 2015. 

Researchers point to the fact that the number of motorcycles on Texas roadways has more than doubled to 422,815 in the last decade and is expected to double again in the next four years. Because motorcycles have a much smaller profile than other vehicles, it can be difficult for drivers to judge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle. As a result, drivers involved in crashes with motorcycles say they never saw the motorcyclist and were unable to react in time to prevent the crash. 

“We know that 66 percent of motorcycle crashes result in death or serious injury for the motorcyclist,” said Carol Rawson, TxDOT’s Traffic Operations Director. “As more and more people turn to motorcycles for affordable transportation and recreation, it’s more important than ever to remind drivers to look twice for motorcycles.” 

“Seeing them is saving them” is the theme of TxDOT’s new campaign, which uses TV and radio commercials and billboards to drive home the new safety message. TxDOT offers these tips on how to better see and accommodate motorcyclists on the road: 

·         Do a Double Take: Look twice for motorcyclists at intersections, where they may be making a left turn, as well as on the highway, where a motorcyclist may be changing lanes. Clearly signal your intentions. 

·         Be Respectful: Remember, a motorcycle is a vehicle with all of the rights and privileges of any vehicle on the roadway.

·         Give Them Space: Don’t follow a motorcycle too closely. A motorcyclist’s riding patterns are different from vehicle patterns, and reactions may vary for the same road or weather conditions. Allow a full lane of travel space between your car or truck and a motorcycle.

·         Anticipate Next Steps: Obstructions that you do not notice could prove to be deadly for a motorcyclist. Give motorcyclists plenty of space to react and make the road a safe place for you and others, no matter what form of transportation they use.

 TxDOT was joined at the event by motorcycle crash victims and medical professionals, as well as officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Texas Motorcycle Safety Coalition, the Texas Motorcycle Roadriders Association, and the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association.