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Sixty-nine motorcycle accidents -- five of them fatal -- have been reported in Bryan-College Station over the past year, according to police records.
Julie Robere-Summers, who has been riding a motorcycle since 2002, said dozens of her friends have been in accidents.
In May, after a friend died in a Bryan motorcycle accident, she was almost ready to sell her bike and give up riding.
"It was really, really hard for me to come to terms with that," she said.
She was at a funeral in October for another "fallen brother" when she learned of another motorcyclist injured in an accident.
"He barely made it, too," she said. "So I felt like enough was enough, and I went home and sent an e-mail."
Fun and awareness
That e-mail reached members of the motorcycle community across the state and invited them to participate in a motorcycle awareness rally.
Robere-Summers said she expected about 500 riders on Saturday for the "Can You See Me Now!" rally, which she hopes will become an annual event.
The rally and ride is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. at Independence Harley-Davidson on Texas 6 in College Station and end at Rebel's Saloon on Mumford Road in Bryan.
Food and live bands will be at the saloon. There is no cost to attend or participate, but donations are welcome.
Robere-Summers said she hoped the event would raise awareness of safety and the need for drivers to watch out for motorcycle riders.
But, she admits, motorcyclists share the responsibility of paying attention and avoiding crashes.
Safety important
Officer Jason James, a spokesman for the Bryan Police Department, said it's important that motorcycle riders be aware of their limitations in skill, as well as the limitations of their motorcycles.
"Motorcycle safety is something you need to address from both sides," he said.
Motorists, he said, should take time to look down the road a second or third time before pulling out into traffic.
"It's easy to see a big SUV coming down the road," he said. "But it's so easy to miss a single motorcycle."
Of the 30 motorcycle accidents in Bryan over the past year, 17 involved a rider not wearing a helmet, and one of those resulted in a fatality, James said.
"Just wear a helmet," he said. "So many lives could be saved, and injuries prevented, if you just wear your helmet."
Robere-Summers said she didn't want to see another rider get hurt or killed.
"Safety is our number one concern," she said. "This is just to let the families, children and young drivers know we're out there -- watch for us just like you would for a child crossing the street."
For more information about the rally, contact Robere-Summers at 574-0239.
