As part of a Texas Department of Transportation grant, researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute conducted a five-year analysis of motorcycle crash data.

Researchers found:

• The number of registered motorcycles doubled from 179,329 in 2000 to 445,395 in 2014. This dramatic increase suggests that crashes with motorcycles will continue to be a traffic safety issue.
• The counties with the most motorcycle registrations were Bexar, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Harris, Montgomery, Tarrant, and Travis, which corresponds to the most populated areas of Texas.
• In 2015, there were over 8,000 motorcycle crashes. The severity of those crashes were classified as:
  • 6 percent fatal injury
  • 22 percent incapacitating injury
  • 38 percent non-incapacitating injury
  • 21 percent possible injury
  • 14 percent no injury
  • The percentage of crashes classified as fatal or incapacitating is similar from 2010 to 2015.
• Overall more crashes occur in urban areas (70 percent) but rural crashes are more severe. Of rural motorcycle crashes, 36 percent resulted in a fatal or incapacitating injury compared to 23 percent in urban areas.
• The rate of fatal or incapacitating motorcycle crashes was 8.4 per 100,000 population in 2015.

Read more.

Join us for the Texas Motorcycle Safety Coalition (TMSC) meeting, June 22, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meeting will be held in College Station, Texas, at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute in the Gibb Gilchrist Building, room 102. Both members and non-members are invited to attend the meeting. 

Please RSVP to attend by emailing Christie no later than noon on Monday, June 20 and indicate if you will drive a State Vehicle, Personal Vehicle or Motorcycle so that we can have an accurate headcount and correct types of parking permits.  This is very important because the permits have to ordered/picked up from TAMU Parking.

The agenda will be as follows:

As more motorcycles take to the road, fatalities up 6 percent last year

AUSTIN – In an effort to curb an increase in motorcycle fatalities on Texas roads, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching its “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign as part of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May. The campaign implores drivers to watch closely for motorcycles, especially at intersections and when changing lanes.

“Part of our responsibility as motorists is to always be aware of other vehicles on the road and to give them plenty of space,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “Motorcycles are particularly vulnerable because they can be difficult to see and don’t have the standard safety features found in cars and trucks. On a motorcycle, even a relatively minor collision can be fatal, so we’re urging drivers to please keep an eye out for their fellow motorists.”

Motorcyclists are nearly 5 times more likely to be injured and 29 times more likely to be killed in a crash than car or truck occupants.[i] More than half (54 percent) of fatal motorcycle crashes result from a collision with a car or truck.[ii] From 2015 to 2016, Texas motorcycle fatalities increased from 464 to 493 (6 percent), and crashes resulting in seriously injured motorcyclists increased from 1,902 to 2,006 (5 percent). The summer months have the highest incidences of motorcycle crashes.[iii] TxDOT’s “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign reminds drivers to:

• Always use turn signals.
• Give motorcycles plenty of space and don’t follow too closely.
• Check mirrors before changing lanes.
• Give motorcyclists a full lane.

This year’s “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign will conduct outreach events inviting visitors to participate in activities that highlight motorcycle safety. Campaign tour stops are:

• April 27 – Austin (statewide launch)
• April 29 – San Antonio
• April 30 – Houston
• May 6 – Waco
• May 18 – El Paso
• May 27 – Dallas

To learn more about the campaign, visit LookTwiceTexas.com or visit TxDOT’s website at txdot.gov. You can also follow TxDOT on Facebook at facebook.com/TxDOT and on Twitter at twitter.com/txdot.