Just because the summer months have passed does not mean that motorcycle riders are hanging it up for the winter. Drivers need to remain cautious out on the roads and be aware that motorcyclists are not only out there but some of them are unprotected.

In Houston, a 26-year-old man named Michael Yeager was killed in a motorcycle crash. Authorities say that Yeager was the passenger of a motorcycle driven by a 26-year-old man from Ohio. The driver of the motorcycle received abrasions and lacerations and was immediately transported to Ventura County Medical Center.

According to the Ventura County Star, the motorcycle swerved to the right on Casitas Pass Road and struck a guard rail, causing both men to be thrown from the motorcycle.

The reason for the accident is still under investigation.

One of the most common factors leading to motorcycle accidents are car drivers making dangerous left-hand turns in front of motorcycles. Roughly 42% of all motorcycle accidents are caused by these dangerous vehicle maneuvers.

“While the Road Safety Commission is working hard to create safer roads and roadsides, motorcycle riders also need to be aware of the risks they face every time they go onto the roads, take the necessary precautions, be more responsible for their own safety and be visible to other road users,” said Chris Adams, acting Road Safety Commissioner.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the last week of October was Motorcycle Safety Week, which promoted communities across the United States to have serious conversations about preventing these roadway fatalities.

Unfortunately, as ABC reports, another motorcycle death happened in the middle of Motorcycle Safety Week. A 50-year-old Houston man was driving a black Harley Davidson motorcycle when he ran into the back of a gray Dodge Dart; he then lost control and drifted into another lane, where he was struck by a gold Toyota Tacoma truck.

Of all the roadway accidents in the U.S., more than 11% involve a motorcycle.