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Texas Motorcycle Safety Coalition Meeting
December 12, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm CST
Location
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
1111 Rellis Parkway
Bryan, TX
Organizers
Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas Department of TransportationTexas Motorcycle Safety Coalition Meeting
Texas A&M Transportation InstituteBryan, TX
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
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Meeting ID: 244 004 249 933
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+1 979-213-5239,,75219992# United States, Bryan
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In-Person
HQ 1243 COM Conference Room
If you will attend in person, please RSVP to Laura Higgins at [email protected] and provide your license plate number for parking.
10:00 – 10:20 AM Opening Remarks & Introductions
• Welcome
• Announcements
10:20 – 10:40 AM Guest Speaker: Mona Lisa Fischer, San Angelo District TSS
10:40 – 10:50 AM Task Force Update
• Task Force project for FY2025
• Proposed motorcycle legislation is linked here.
10:50 – 11:00 AM Break
11:00 – 11:10 AM Updates on other motorcycle safety initiatives
11:10 – 11:45 AM Motorcycle Safety Forum 2025
• Date/Location
• Discussion:
– Potential topics & speakers
– Potential learning opportunities
11:45 – Noon Open Forum (open)
• What events or efforts are happening in your area?
• What topic would you like to hear about next meeting?
Noon Adjourn
Texas Motorcycle Safety Coalition Meeting Minutes
December 12, 2024, 10:00 am – noon
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Headquarters RM 1243 & Teams
Opening Welcome & Announcements
Laura Higgins welcomed everyone to the meeting. All attendees introduced themselves. (minute mark 00:00:16) references provided to the posted meeting video.
Announcements:
Crystal O’Rear and Cody Stewart with TTI looking for volunteers to provide feedback on a webpage on motorcyclist training and licensing. Please email [email protected] if interested. (mm 00:13:26)
For the first time ever, TxDOT has added included consideration for motorcycles in their Roadway Design Manual, November 2024. (mm 00:17:00) https://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/TxDOTOnlineManuals/txdotmanuals/rdw/rdw.pdf
Chapter 20 (Motorcyclist Design Consideration) discusses motorcyclist design considerations such as pavement features, roadside features, highway features, and motorcycle safety during construction.
The Texas Motorcyclist Safety Forum is planned for May 2-3, 2025. The place to be confirmed. We are looking for Bastrop to Austin to San Antonio area. (mm 00:19:52)
Texas Motorcyclist Safety Award nomination will be closing in February. Please submit your nomination at https://tti.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0HA4JFx94CTj6YK . (mm 00:21:04)
Guest Speaker: Mona Lisa Fischer, TxDOT San Angelo District TSS
Laura introduced Mona Lisa (mm 00:21:31) then Mona Lisa shared her excitement for seeing new folks joining the meeting, her background with TxDOT, motorcycling, and some of the concerns in her district as San Angelo is a crossroads for those in- and out-of-state riders moving to the hill country, especially the Three Sisters. She then shared (mm 00:24:40) what she and her motorcyclist coalition have accomplished in the San Angelo District. After her presentation, (mm 00:31:27) she addressed questions.
Dave Jones from Safety on Two Wheels (mm 00:33:22) started a conversation regarding the increase in unlicensed riders and the lack of training sites in San Angelo. Mona Lisa (mm 00:36:49) indicated her desire to become a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) RiderCoach that led to a request for Madison (MSF) to please let MSF know we would love to have a RiderCoach Prep (train the trainer) for 3-wheel riders instead of them having to take the prep course on 2-wheels then become certified for 3-wheel.
Deanna asked (mm 00:39:10) how to get markings where her brother’s fatal accident happened. Who to contact for this and other road work needed is based on the type of roadway. TxDOT District engineers can be contacted through the website. Click on the district that covers your county. https://www.txdot.gov/about/districts.html
In the chat:
Benson asked about increasing motorcycle safety with child games… Kim responded with “Biker Bump” (fist bump) when kids in the car see a motorcycle, based on the old “Slug Bug” when a VW Bug was spotted.
Niki with Boundless Rider shared their interest in connecting with safety organization to help riders get trained and the optional program for their insured riders for real-time crash detection with 911 coordination to help save lives.
Benson asked about the need for everyone to take advanced courses. Suggestions included:
- RideSmart – Track school for cornering at higher speeds. https://www.ridesmart.info/
- Safety on Two Wheels – NW of Houston, MSF Advanced and Circuit Rider Courses. https://safetyontwowheels.org/
- Texas Motor Sports – Central Texas, MSF Advanced Rider Course. https://www.texasmotorsports.com/Motorcycle-Courses/Advanced-Rider-Course
- Motor officer type training is available somewhere in Texas. Does anyone know where?
- Could the DPS training site in Floresville or Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) conduct these types of courses?
Task Force update
Cathy shared (mm 00:46:54) 2025 special project plan topic has been narrowed to 3 topics, impairment, licensing, or work zones, with licensing currently leading. This would include outreach to riders, law enforcement, and judiciary about reaching those riding without a license to encourage them to get trained and licensed.
The legislation update (mm 00:48:14):
- Texas Legislative Weekend will be January 25 – 27, 2025. Contact the Texas Council of Clubs and Independents (TCOC&I) for more information. https://txcoci.com/
- Anyone can follow those bills proposed by searching “motorcycle” on the Texas capitol website. With a login, you can set up notifications of any changes. If the bill goes before the committee, it should be open to public comment.
- The Texas Motorcycle Safety Coalition is NOT a lobbying agent. Individuals are encouraged to know their local representative and contact them to share opinions. Who Represents Me? https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home
- In addition to TCOC&I, ABATE of Texas is another lobbying organization. https://www.texasabate.com/
Updates on other motorcyclist safety initiatives
Kylie LaFever shared (mm 01:01:21) the story of her 17-year-old son who was recently killed following a motorcycle crash and her mission to not let him die in vain. She has established a non-profit in his name, the Thomas LaFever Foundation. She is working on a website that will focus on motorcycle safety awareness, CPR, organ donation, and scholarships in Thomas’ name for youth who want to follow a trade. https://youtu.be/2yzXthVxPo8?si=cQwiTry7oopa-jEN Please contact Kylie if you would like for her to speak at your event/meeting. [email protected]
Cathy recognized (mm 01:13:01) another mom who has been advocate for motorcyclist safety in honor of her son, Beau Hunter Meyer, who was killed a year ago this month put up billboards and works with local businesses in Victoria. A TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist shared her story last week of two friends who were killed the same night in different locations after leaving a restaurant. Deanna, who mentioned her brother who was killed this year in Bulverde. How do we reach those riders who are taking higher risks on motorcycles? How do we reach the other drivers to help them understand why it is difficult to judge the approach speed and distance of a motorcycle and how to compensate to avoid the crash? It is through this Coalition. Your attendance at the meetings, the new faces, the sharing of stories, support, and connections to make improvements.
Niki (mm 01:19:04) suggested working with other drivers in addition to the riders to know what to do as a bystander to help rather than hurt a rider at a crash site.
Savannah (mm 01:21:27) suggested contacting trauma units to ask about bystander classes, there is a curriculum available. (mm 01:23:35) Road Guardians’ Accident Scene Management classes were designed specifically for bystanders of rider involved crashes to provide care without harm until EMS arrives. https://roadguardians.org/
2025 Statewide Motorcyclist Safety Forum planning discussion
(mm 01:24:24) The last forum was in 2023. Accident Scene Management (ASM) provided a presentation, outdoor recreation, and first responder panel discussion. Several years prior, Stop the Bleed provided a mini class at the forum. This year we are looking for these types of activities (ASM class is 8 hours) to provide at the forum, the day of or the day before. Another idea is for an on-motorcycle activity such as the MSF Ride Day for the first time on a motorcycle experience and for experienced riders to check their skills.
Topic ideas that have already been shared include updates from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) on rider training, legislation questions around profiling and lane splitting, motorist awareness, and motorcycle rated data.
Potential guest speakers include the Snell Memorial Foundation and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on helmet safety and the cost of choosing not to wear one.
Suggested local route is the Tail of the Armadillo route near Lake Travis.
If you have any suggestions for speakers, topics, learning activities, etc. please contact Cathy or Laura at [email protected], [email protected].
Open Forum (mm 01:34:58)
What events or efforts are happening in your area? What topic would you like to hear about on the next meeting?
(mm 01:35:30) Safety on Two Wheels is hosting a Circuit Rider Course next month and Advanced Rider Courses in Tomball to help riders advance their skills. Greatest heartache is when riders learn how to ride fast on a racetrack then crash riding fast on the streets because the streets are not a controlled track. If someone big in racing could share the message of racing if for the track not the streets, that could save some lives.
(mm 01:40:08) Kylie shared the YouTube video (see above) of the event in honor of Thomas and requested any guidance or advice to help her learn more to send out the right messages for motorcyclist safety. [email protected] 737-707-9058
(mm 01:41:48) Niki with Boundless Rider Insurance offered their social media and website to share motorcyclist safety messaging. [email protected]
(mm 01:42:52) Please reach out to Cathy with leads on any of the following:
- Interest in having vendor tables at this year’s forum as space allows.
- Motorcycle dealership leadership or OEM representative on the Task Force.
- Insurance industry representative on the Task Force.
Adjourn
(mm 01:46:22) Raine moves to adjourn.
The next coalition meeting will be held in March, likely a Thursday, 10:00 – noon.
Thank you to our guest speaker and everyone who joined us today. We are delighted to see so many new people today. Next time bring a new friend. A Happy and Safe Holiday to all.
Agenda: TMSC-Agenda-Dec.-12.pdf
2025 Legislative Weekend Flyer: 2025-Legislative-Weekend-Flyer.pdf
TMSC Meeting Minutes 12.12.24: 2024-12-12-TMSC-Meeting-Minutes_POST.pdf