Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)<\/a>. Another 2,400 were seriously injured. For riders in East Texas, those numbers aren\u2019t just statistics – they\u2019re a reminder of what\u2019s at stake every time they start their engines.<\/p>\nA 14-Year-Old Who Already Knows the Stakes<\/p>\n
Before Ryland Dooley ever swings a leg over a motorcycle, he runs through a checklist. Tire pressure. Helmet. Gloves. The right shoes. The right pants.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s only 14 years old.<\/p>\n
His father, Christian Dooley, rides with the Guardians of the Children – a group that advocates for abused kids and logs serious miles doing it. Before every group ride, they don\u2019t just saddle up and go. They run a full inspection.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe actually have our sergeant-at-arms go through – he\u2019s got extensive experience in motorcycle mechanics – and he\u2019ll look for mechanical defects to make sure we\u2019re safe for every ride,\u201d Christian said. \u201cAnd our road captain will plan our routes and look for hazards we can mitigate as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s motto says it all: arrive alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafety for us is paramount in not just what we do with the children on our bikes, but with ourselves in order to be there for the children,\u201d Christian said. \u201cWe have to arrive alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s Safety in Numbers<\/p>\n
Steve Baker, President of the Blue Knights Pineywoods Chapter – a law enforcement biker group – says riding in a group isn\u2019t just about camaraderie. It\u2019s a survival strategy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re more visible. You got more headlights out there. You\u2019re spread out amongst the lane,\u201d Baker said. \u201cI have found over the years that we have a lot less close calls in groups than we do riding by ourselves or in pairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
But even in a group, Baker says riders can never let their guard down. He approaches every ride with a simple mindset.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time I pull out on the highway, I just assume everybody out there is trying to kill me,\u201d Baker said. \u201cMotorcycles are very deceptive on how fast they\u2019re actually moving. You might think you can make it – but maybe not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baker says intersections and private driveways are especially dangerous, because drivers get complacent and often fail to spot smaller vehicles. Blind spots are another major hazard – one he says falls on both drivers and riders to manage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got to be cognitive to stay out of people\u2019s blind spots so they can see us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"\u2018Arrive](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUEMEDRTGVDMPEG3CU7D2KCQB4.jpeg\")
\u2018Arrive Alive\u2019: East Texas bikers gather to share how they stay safe on Texas roads(Mellie Valencia)When Gear Makes the Difference<\/p>\n
Mike Dagiss knows firsthand what proper gear can do. His wife crashed at a rally earlier this year. She walked away with only a broken wrist – because she was wearing the right equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf she didn\u2019t have her helmet on and safety gear or anything like that, it would have been worse than that,\u201d Mike said.<\/p>\n
Now, Mike rides long distance in a full-face helmet, every time. <\/p>\n
The message from East Texas riders isn\u2019t just for fellow bikers – it\u2019s for everyone behind the wheel.<\/p>\n
Christian Dooley\u2019s ask for drivers is simple:<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease look twice. Even if it takes you another second, you may save a motorcyclist\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\u2018Arrive](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7V722EU6JRH5FNCY5QYETZS4EU.jpeg\")
\u2018Arrive Alive\u2019: East Texas bikers gather to share how they stay safe on Texas roads(Mellie Valencia)<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 KLTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2018Arrive Alive\u2019: East Texas bikers gather to share how they stay safe on Texas roads(Mellie Valencia) LUFKIN, Texas…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":303460,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,29,28],"class_list":["post-303459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\u2018Arrive](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/NJ2LIZHTGNG5RHRKV4WBGO74WM.jpeg\")
\u2018Arrive Alive\u2019: East Texas bikers gather to share how they stay safe on Texas roads(Mellie Valencia)<\/p>\n