Watch for Motorcycles: A Public Service Announcement for Every Driver in Kentucky and Indiana

From Karl Truman, Attorney and Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.)

I want to talk to you today. Not the rider. You. The person behind the wheel of the car, the truck, the SUV with the coffee in the cupholder and the phone on the passenger seat.

Because here is the truth we do not say often enough: when a motorcycle and a car collide, the rider almost always pays the price, and the driver is very often the reason it happened.

In Indiana, when a motorcycle crash involves another vehicle, state data shows the driver of the car or truck is found at fault more than 75 percent of the time. Three out of four. Usually because the driver was distracted, or simply never registered that a motorcycle was there at all.

That is not a rider problem. That is a driver problem. Which means it is a problem you and I can actually fix.

The Numbers Nobody Wants to Read

I have spent decades representing injured motorcyclists in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. I have sat across the table from families who lost someone on a road they had ridden a hundred times. So when I give you these numbers, understand that every one of them was a person.

• The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety reports that 95 motorcyclists died on Kentucky roads in 2024. Kentucky State Police logged more than 1,600 motorcycle crashes statewide that same year.
• Jefferson County leads the Commonwealth in motorcycle collisions, with roughly 260 crashes and 200 rider injuries in 2024 alone. Right here at home.
• In Indiana, motorcyclists make up around 13 percent of all traffic deaths, despite motorcycles being a tiny fraction of the vehicles on the road.
• Nationally, 6,228 motorcyclists were killed in 2024. Motorcycles account for less than one percent of the miles Americans drive, yet riders represent 16 percent of all traffic fatalities.
• Per mile traveled, a motorcyclist is roughly 28 times more likely to die in a crash than someone in a car.

And here is the one that should stop you cold: about 65 percent of motorcyclist deaths involve another vehicle. Most riders are not dying alone on empty back roads. They are dying in traffic, next to us.

Why Drivers Do Not See Motorcycles

“I never saw him.” I have heard that sentence in depositions more times than I can count, and here is the hard part: most of those drivers were telling the truth.

Motorcycles are narrow. They fit inside the pillar blind spot of your windshield. They disappear behind a mirror. Your brain is scanning for car-sized objects, and a rider does not match the search pattern. Add a phone, a touchscreen, a sandwich, or a toddler negotiating in the back seat, and the odds get worse fast.

Most fatal motorcycle crashes happen in clear weather, on dry roads, in decent light. The conditions are fine. The attention is not.

Indiana’s own collision data lists the top contributing factors in these crashes: failure to yield the right of way, unsafe speed, and improper lane movement. Notice that “bad weather” and “bad luck” do not make the list. These are choices.

What “Look Twice” Actually Means

You have seen the yard signs. Look Twice, Save a Life. Good advice, but let me make it operational, the way we would in the Army:

1. At every left turn, hunt for the headlight. The classic motorcycle fatality is a car turning left across the path of an oncoming rider. Before you turn, look specifically for a single headlight, not just a gap in traffic.
2. Check your blind spot with your head, not your mirror. A motorcycle can live in your mirror’s blind spot for a quarter mile. Turn your head before every lane change. Every one.
3. Triple your following distance behind a bike. Motorcycles can stop faster than you can. If a rider brakes hard and you are two car lengths back, you are about to become the defendant in one of my cases. I would rather not meet you that way.
4. At intersections, assume a rider is coming. Failure to yield is the number one driver error in motorcycle crashes across both states. A rolling stop is a bet, and the rider is the stake.
5. Put the phone down. Not in your lap. Down. No text has ever been worth a life, and I promise you the group chat will still be arguing about the same thing when you park.

To the Riders Reading This

You already know the risks better than anyone. I will only add this: ride like you are invisible, because to a distracted driver, you are. Gear up, light up, position yourself to be seen, and take the training courses. In Indiana, roughly two thirds of the riders killed between 2020 and 2024 were not wearing helmets. I do not care what the law allows in your state. Wear the helmet. Your family is not interested in your hair.

This Is Personal for Us

I spent my career in the Army before I spent it in the courtroom, and both taught me the same lesson: most casualties are preventable, and prevention is everyone’s job. That is why our firm runs the Ride Aware motorcycle awareness campaign, and why I am asking you, driver to driver, neighbor to neighbor, to make one change starting today. Look for the riders. They are your coworkers, your veterans, your kids’ teachers, your neighbors. They are everywhere, and they are counting on you to see them.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle crash caused by a careless driver, the Karl Truman Law Office is here to help. Consultations are free, and you will talk to people who understand what riders are up against on these roads.

Louisville, Kentucky: 502-222-2222 Jeffersonville, Indiana: 812-282-8500 trumanlaw.com

Look twice. Then look again. Save a life.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Motorcycle Awareness in Kentucky and Indiana

How many motorcyclists die each year in Kentucky?

According to the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, 95 motorcyclists died on Kentucky roads in 2024, out of more than 1,600 motorcycle crashes reported statewide by Kentucky State Police. Motorcycle deaths account for roughly 13 percent of all Kentucky traffic fatalities.

Who is usually at fault in a motorcycle crash with a car?

In Indiana, state collision data shows the driver of the passenger vehicle is found at fault in more than 75 percent of multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes, most often due to distracted driving or failure to see the motorcycle. Failure to yield the right of way is the most common driver error.

What is the most dangerous situation for motorcyclists?

Left turn collisions at intersections are among the deadliest scenarios for riders. A driver turning left across the path of an oncoming motorcycle, often after “looking but not seeing,” is one of the most common causes of serious and fatal motorcycle crashes in Kentucky and Indiana.

Why are motorcycles so hard for drivers to see?

Motorcycles have a narrow profile that can hide behind windshield pillars, mirrors, and other vehicles. Drivers’ brains scan for car-sized objects, so a motorcycle often fails to register, especially when the driver is distracted by a phone or in-vehicle screen.

What should I do if I was injured in a motorcycle accident in Louisville or Jeffersonville?

Get medical attention first, document everything you can, and avoid giving statements to the other driver’s insurance company before speaking with an attorney. The Karl Truman Law Office offers free consultations at 502-222-2222 in Louisville and 812-282-8500 in Jeffersonville.