Share the road with motorcycles

The Texas Department of Transportation wants drivers to look twice for possible motorcycles sharing the road.

The agency has launched a campaign to bring awareness to motorcycle injuries and deaths. Last year, the department reported 455 motorcyclist fatalities and 1,867 injuries in Texas.

“Drivers cite not seeing the motorcycle or misjudging how fast it is traveling as the reason for the collision,” the agency said in a statement.

The safety campaign, “Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles,” will make pit stops in Texas metro areas to educate the public about motorcycle collisions and how to prevent them.

Motorcyclists can appear to be farther away than they are, and motorists who follow them too closely are some of the reasons behind collisions.

Just because they are small vehicles doesn’t mean they don’t need a wide berth while driving.

Looking twice for any vehicle is good practice and benefits everyone on the road.

A little more diligence while driving can go a long way.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Share the road with motorcycles."