The annual Do You See Me Now Motorcycle Ride, which has been taking place annually for the past 7 years, brought 500 motorcyclists to the Killeen community recently.
As the name of the event implies, the goal of the ride is to raise awareness among the community about how important it is that other motorists on the Texas roadways be on the alert for motorcyclists and use caution when driving around them.
Some of the riders were accident victims themselves. One woman said that when she was first riding, a car turned out in front of her bike. She hit the car, flew off the bike, and was hit by another car while she was on the ground. She says she has never traveled on a motorcycle alone since her accident.
Another participant in the ride had lost both of his parents to a fatal motorcycle accident in 2016. Although not a regular rider himself, the man decided to ride in the parade on one of his mom’s motorcycles in honor of his parents.
While the ride hopefully raised some awareness about the importance of being safe around motorcyclists, the reality is that there will still be many drivers on the Texas roads that simply are not paying enough attention to notice a motorcycle. These motorists, even if they mean no harm, pose a serious danger to bikers and can easily cause a death or a serious injury. When this happens, a motorcyclist or a grieving family may be able to get compensation from the responsible party by filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Source: Kileen Daily Herald, “Riders participate in annual motorcycle safety event,” Artie Phillips, April 30, 2018.