May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Special to the News-Standard

TxDOT launched its “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign and reminds drivers to remain alert and watch carefully for motorcycles on Texas roadways.

Motorcycles are smaller and harder to spot, which is why taking an extra moment to double check for them can often mean the difference between life and death.

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In 2023 in Texas, 599 motorcyclists were killed in motor vehicle crashes and 2,483 motorcyclists were seriously injured. The number of motorcyclists killed on Texas roads increased by 7 percent last year, and intersection fatal crashes in our state increased by 21 percent.

Drivers can help stop these rising numbers by always looking twice for motorcycles… because there truly is a life riding on it.

With its campaign, TxDOT is reminding drivers to be extra vigilant during the spring and summer months, when the warmer Texas temperatures see more motorcyclists taking to the roads. Even minor collisions can be catastrophic for motorcyclists because their bikes lack many of the safety features common to other vehicles.

At the center of TxDOT’s campaign this year is motorcycle crash survivor Al Peterson of Leander, TX who almost died last May when another driver turned left in front of him while he was on his bike. Peterson was thrown 20 yards from his motorcycle and fractured several ribs, his left leg, pelvis, and suffered severe internal injuries. The crash nearly took him from his wife and three children.