As Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month begins, the Texas Department of Transportation is urging drivers to take a closer look — literally — with its newly launched “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles” campaign.
The initiative comes after a deadly year on Texas roadways. In 2024, the state saw more than 9,000 motorcycle crashes, which claimed 585 lives and seriously injured more than 2,500 people.
At the center of this year’s campaign is the story of Brendan Johnson, a 28-year-old from Cedar Park who was killed on April 15, 2024, while riding his motorcycle home from work in Leander. According to officials, a van failed to yield and turned in front of him. Johnson struck the rear quarter panel of the vehicle, was thrown from his bike, and died at the scene.
“My son Brendan was the protector of our family,” said his father, Ron Heard. “He was engaged to be married. He had so much to live for. All the pain our family and friends have endured could have been avoided if the driver had just looked twice before turning.”
Johnson’s story is not unique, TxDOT officials said. Crashes like his are far too common, and many are preventable.
“Motorcycles don’t just come out of nowhere,” said Nancy Winn, TxDOT’s Traffic Safety Program Manager for motorcycle safety. “Drivers need to train themselves to notice motorcycles. They’re smaller, lower to the ground, and much more vulnerable. Looking twice could save a life.”
TxDOT officials said many of the fatal crashes in 2024 were caused by drivers failing to yield, changing lanes without checking blind spots, or speeding through intersections without noticing an oncoming motorcycle. Studies show that many collisions occur at intersections, especially when drivers misjudge the speed or distance of a motorcycle.
Winn urged Texas drivers to follow a few simple but life-saving habits:
“May is a great time to put motorcyclists top of mind,” Winn said. “There will be more riders out on the road, and we need all drivers to stay alert and watch for them.”
Motorcyclists make up roughly 14% of all traffic fatalities in Texas, despite being a small portion of road users. Their lack of protective barriers means even minor crashes can be deadly.
Motorcyclists can also take steps to protect themselves, TxDOT noted — wearing helmets, driving defensively, using headlights, and avoiding the center of the lane where debris and oil accumulate.
Still, Heard believes the responsibility starts with drivers.
“If the driver who hit Brendan had just taken 10 extra seconds to look, my son would still be here,” he said. “He’d still be planning his wedding. Instead, we’re planning a life without him. That pain is with us every single day.”
For more information on the “Share the Road” campaign or to see Brendan’s story, visit https://www.txdot.gov.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: TxDOT launches emotional “Share the Road” campaign to reduce deadly motorcycle crashes
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
