Despite less traffic on the road in 2020 and a 2% reduction in motorcycle crashes, safety officials are alarmed by a 17% increase in Texas motorcycle fatalities compared to 2019. On average, a motorcyclist is killed in a crash on Texas roads every day last year 482 died. Motorcyclists account for 12% of all traffic fatalities statewide.
May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Texas Department of Transportation’s annual “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign gets underway to call attention to the safety precautions motorists can take to protect motorcyclists and themselves. In 2020, in the 7,481 motorcycle crashes in Texas, 1,856 motorcyclists were seriously injured and 482 were killed.
TxDOT urges motorists to Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles heraldbanner.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from heraldbanner.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
May through October is an especially dangerous period for motorcyclists in Texas, said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. Of all the motorcyclist deaths in Texas during 2020, more than 61% happened in that period. It s so important to remember that these motorcyclists don t have the same protections that drivers in vehicles have, and that s why we re urging all motorists to stay watchful and alert when traveling alongside motorcycles so everyone can reach their destination safely.
The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) reported that fatal crashes between motorcyclists and drivers often occur due to drivers misjudging the motorcycle s distance and speed and make left turns in front of an approaching motorcyclist.
Texas sees 17% increase in motorcycle fatalities despite lockdowns
By FOX 7 Austin Digital Team
Published
AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to look twice for motorcyclists as more than 2,300 were killed or seriously injured on Texas streets and highways last year
Motorcyclists account for 12% of all traffic fatalities statewide. On average, a motorcyclist is killed in a crash on Texas roads every day, according to TxDOT. Last year, 482 died. May through October is an especially dangerous period for motorcyclists in Texas, said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. Of all the motorcyclist deaths in Texas during 2020, more than 61% happened in that period. It’s so important to remember that these motorcyclists don’t have the same protections that drivers in vehicles have, and that’s why we’re urging all motorists to stay watchful and alert when traveling alongside motorcycles so everyone can reach their destination safely.
HCSO Celebrates National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month Monday, May 3, 2021
May has been designated as National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and in recognition of this public safety effort, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Division is focused on educating the public about the importance of safe driving habits and enforcement of applicable traffic laws. Each year, law enforcement and public safety organizations all over the United States use the month of May to discuss the importance of motorcycle and vehicle safety, the importance of proper safety gear for motorcyclists and “Looking Twice” for motorcycles. “Now that warm weather is upon us, there will be more motorcycles on our roadways and that means that everyone needs to be more vigilant,” stated Sheriff Jim Hammond. “It is always important to Look Twice and Arrive Alive,” he further noted.