TYLER, Texas — Last year, nearly 600 motorcyclists were killed in motor vehicle crashes and nearly 2,500 were injured. That’s a seven percent increase from the year before in the state of Texas.
An eye opening statistic that continues to increase across the state and in the East Texas area.
”There were 28 fatalities and out of the 207 fatalities that we had in our district in 2023, 28 were motorcyclists, and or passengers on the motorcycles," TXDOT spokesperson Jeff Williford said.
Williford said that was an increase from the year before in East Texas.
Officials said from 2022 to 2023, there was a 46% rise in fatalities in the Tyler district.
Williford shared his thoughts on motorcycle safety awareness and emphasized using a helmet.
“Wearing a helmet can reduce fatalities and brain injuries up to 40 to 49%, so that's something that's very important to do," Williford said.
Williford added the responsibility of reducing these numbers aren't solely on the bikers but on motorists as well.
Al Peterson, a motorcycle crash survivor involved in an accident in Austin, Texas after a driver failed to yield and turned into him, suffered from damaged organs, broken bones and still doesn't know the long term effects of the accident.
Peterson told TXDOT there's a need for motorists to be aware and take necessary precautions when sharing the road with motorcyclists because they can be harder to see.
"We’re a lot smaller than most vehicles on the road, so it’s easier to miss us and we don’t have all of the safety features vehicles have. Like airbags, seatbelts and a metal cage around us," Peterson said. "That’s why it's so important for drivers to look twice for motorcycles. Give extra room and stay alert.”
Peterson shared how lucky he is to be here today, knowing how close he was to the end.
“It’s a miracle that I'm still alive and I'm just one of thousands of motorcyclist that are seriously injured or killed on the road each year," Peterson said.
Each May, TXDOT holds a "Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles" campaign to curb the rise in motorcycle related deaths.
Officials say the big message is to look out for each other so everyone is safe on the roads in East Texas.
“We're one big family and, you know, motorcyclists can be the same way. They're usually a part of a group of a family that rides together. And so doing that you want to keep each other safe," Williford said.