In This Together
During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May, let’s share tips and work together to create safer roads for all.
- Download and display this poster: Look Twice for Bikes.
- Promote wearing helmets when riding
Your employees and company drivers will be sharing the road with motorcycle riders more frequently during these next few months. While motorcycles make up about 3% of all registered vehicles and account for less than .01% of miles traveled in the U.S., motorcyclists are overrepresented in fatal crashes, according to the National Safety Council. In fact, NSC analysis of data from 2022 shows motorcyclists accounted for:
- 6% of all traffic fatalities
- 5% of all crash injuries
NSC research also shows fatal motorcycle crashes most often occur at times and locations your employees and their family members will be traveling:
- On urban roads (66%)
- In good weather (94%)
- During the daytime (50%)
In Texas, 562 motorcyclists (operators and passengers) were killed in crashes in 2022, and 39% were not wearing helmets, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. More than half of fatal motorcycle crashes result from collisions with other vehicles. Often, drivers don’t see the motorcycle, or they misjudge the motorcycle’s speed or the distance between the two vehicles.
Crashes open the door to increased employer costs and the potential for exposure to liability. Work to prevent incidents by promoting safe driving behaviors. Save money, save lives. Post these safety tips from TxDOT on a bulletin board or your company’s intranet site:
- When driving, pay extra attention at intersections, particularly if making a left turn, and allow motorcycles to pass to avoid turning in front of riders
- Look twice when changing lanes, check mirrors and blind spots, always use turn signals
- Slow down and stay back; give the motorcycle space by maintaining a safe following distance
Get more free resources from TxDOT: Download and share social media graphics, print materials and safety videos.
Motorcyclists are about 24 times more likely to be killed in a crash than passenger vehicle occupants and about four times more likely to be injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Brightly colored clothing, boots, shoes and helmets can help riders to be more conspicuous on the road. Use these free resources from NHTSA and NSC to enhance your public safety outreach efforts:
- Choosing the Right Motorcycle Helmet
- Motorcycle facts and stats, social media graphics and videos
- Motorcycle Roadway Safety
If you have team members who ride motorcycles, inspire them to ride safely, whether for work or pleasure.
Safety Selfie
Annually, we observe Global Youth Traffic Safety Month in May. It’s a reminder that car crashes remain a leading cause of preventable death for teenagers and that safety interventions save lives.
Take time to discuss risk factors with your employees, including parents and caregivers, to help protect our most vulnerable drivers. Be sure to cover these topics:
Nighttime driving: Inexperience and lower visibility at night are a recipe for disaster. While only 1% of teen driving trips occur from midnight to 5:59 a.m., 13% of teen fatal crashes occur during this time. It is important to set curfews and to have teens follow their state Graduated Driver Licensing laws.
Speeding: Speeding was a factor in almost a third of all crashes in 2022, contributing to more than 12,000 fatalities. A closer look at age groupings involved in those fatal crashes shows male drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 were the most heavily represented. Get your team talking with their young drivers about the importance of following posted speed limits and slowing down in inclement weather or in and around school and work zones.
Alcohol-impaired driving: Alcohol use continues to be a top risk factor. While teens are legally prohibited from consuming alcohol, 1,345 drivers ages 20 or younger in the U.S. were involved in alcohol-impaired fatal crashes in 2022. Share this tragic story from North Texas: Teen Faces Intoxication Manslaughter Charges in Crash That Killed Family of 6.
Distracted driving: Anything that takes a teen’s attention off the task of driving can be deadly. This includes eating behind the wheel, having too many passengers and cellphone use. It is important that teens drive distraction-free and focus on the road ahead.
Employers can be part of the safety solution by starting these conversations. The message: Get parents and caregivers involved in keeping their children safe.
Get more information and share free resources: DriveitHOME.org.