Texas Motorcycle Safety Coalition Meeting

Thursday, August 27, 2026 
10:00 a.m. to Noon
TMSC Meeting Agenda 

10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
Opening Remarks & Introductions

10:10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Safety Minute

10:15 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.
Task Force Update
– Texas Motorcycle Safety Program Self-Assessment
– Support formal NHTSA Motorcycle Assessment in 2027

10:25 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.
Unlicensed to Ride
– Project Overview
– Analysis Results
– Status of Student Surveys

10:55 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Break

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Motorcycle Crash Analysis Key Findings

11:30 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
Announcements

11:40 a.m. – Noon
Open Forum

Noon
Adjourn

Texas Motorcycle Safety Coalition Meeting Minutes

August 27, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Headquarters RM 1140 & Teams

Welcome & Agenda

Cathy Brooks welcomed attendees to the meeting and invited everyone to introduce themselves.

Safety Minute: Wearing Gear in the Summer

Laura Higgins presented the safety minute, about the importance of wearing motorcycle safety gear every time you ride, including in the summer. While summer temperatures can make the added layer of safety gear seem like a terrible idea, having that layer of protection not only protects your skin during a crash, but also from getting extra-crispy under the Texas sun. There are a lot of gear options on the market that offer air flow and even active cooling systems.

Task Force Update

Cathy Brooks presented results of the TMSC Task Force’s FY26 initiative, which was a Statewide Motorcycle Safety Self-Assessment. This self-assessment will provide valuable background information for a NHTSA Statewide Assessment of Texas’ motorcycle safety programs, planned for next year.

Unlicensed to Ride

Cathy Brooks reviewed the Unlicensed to Ride project, which was developed to encourage unlicensed motorcyclists in Texas to complete training and obtain their motorcycle license. The project will continue in the coming year, and TTI will share information about upcoming new-rider surveys to the LookLearnLive social media feeds.

Motorcycle Crash Analysis Key Findings

Laura Higgins reviewed highlights from this year’s in-depth analysis of Texas motorcycle crash data. The analysis identified safety issues that were associated with large numbers of motorcycle-involved crashes, with severe motorcycle crashes, or both. Long-standing issues included speed, impairment, failure to yield, and unlicensed riders. Some emerging issues that may be associated with motorcyclist crashes included distraction, lack of lane splitting education, and riding in unfamiliar areas. The crash analysis report is being finalized; once it is submitted to TxDOT and approved, it will be made available on the LookLearnLive.org website under “Resources.”

Announcements

Madison Marquez shared information on the RiderCoach Tour in Dallas and provided a link for further information: https://msf-usa.org/ridercoach-tour/

Open Forum

There was discussion about the 1-day rider waiver classes. While the 1-day class offers potential to lower barriers for experienced riders who are unlicensed, several instructors also observed that failure rates for 1-day classes were higher than those for the standard weekend class.
There was discussion about e-bikes and safety issues emerging among teens and tweens riding these powered vehicles with no mandatory safety training. Madison commented that MSF has added an e-bike course to its course offerings.

Adjourn

If you have any topic ideas for future meetings (or the Forum), please send them to Cathy ([email protected]) or Laura ([email protected]).
Ride safe and have a great rest of your week!