TYLER, Texas — With warmer weather making its way into East Texas, more people are hitting the streets on motorcycles.
However, in the last week, there have been three deadly accidents involving motorcycles across the Piney Woods
Brandon Crawley is not only an officer with the Tyler Police Department, he is also an avid motorcyclist.
"I feel safe [riding my motorcycle], however I do feel sometimes people don’t pay attention," Crawley said. "Sometimes they even come into my lane without looking, and I’ve actually been hit."
Crawley says most accidents happen at intersections where people turn in front of a motorcycle. He says many drivers fail to see the motorcyclists because the bike is small.
"The biggest reason we’re given is 'We never saw them' or they 'couldn’t tell how fast they were going,'" Crawley said. "It makes me sad people just trying to have an enjoyable ride and their life was cut short because of maybe somebody’s negligence."
While Crawley believes drivers' should do a better job at looking out for motorcyclists, there are several things motorcyclists can do to protect themselves.
Among the tips he has are:
- Always wear a helmet
- Be aware your surroundings
- Watch for debris on the road
"Probably the biggest safety advice I can give is to pretend that you’re invisible and nobody else can see you and drive defensively and watch out for other drivers on the road," Crawley said.
As for other drivers, Crawley says look twice for motorcycles. Drivers should look left, then look right, then left again at every intersection, when making a turn or when changing lanes.