El Paso Is One Of The Most Dangerous Texas Cities For Bikers

A recent TxDoT report listed El Paso among the Texas cities with the highest number of motorcycle accidents.

The top cities were Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso, Corpus Christi, Lubbock and Odessa. The report states what most bikers already know, the most common cause of accidents was inattentive drivers. People on their phones, applying makeup, playing with the radio, talking to passengers, etc. The most common accident is typically caused by vehicles turning left in front of motorcycles. Bikes are smaller than cars and harder to see so, please look two or three times before making such turns or changing lanes.

Objects lying on the dashboard can sometimes be big enough to "hide" an approaching motorcycle so, please keep that area clear. Also, please avoid hanging little signs or placing decals on side and rear windows. While we're on the subject of safety tips, please use your blinkers and give bikes extra room when following them. Bikers will often downshift to slow which does not cause the brake light to come on. When passing motorcycles, give them their full lane. Whether you have the room or not, don't pass them unless you have moved properly and entirely into another lane to do so.

Last year, across Texas, there were 412 deaths. In El Paso alone, there were 334 motorcycle crashes resulting in 13 deaths and 49 serious injuries. (The most recent motorcycle accident this year was a hit and run last week.) According to TxDoT, May- October are the deadliest months for bikers so, please, adhere to TxDoT's "Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles" campaign.

For more info and additional driver safety tips, click here.