The latest data from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety shows that motorcycle fatalities are on the rise. Georgia motorcycle traffic safety fact sheet data finds that although motorcycles represent just 2% of registered vehicles, motorcyclists are consistently overrepresented in traffic fatalities. In 2019, motorcyclists represented 11% of total traffic fatalities and 21% of total driver fatalities, according to a press release.
The data puts shows where crashes are happening, who’s involved in crashes, how many were multi-vehicle crashes, plus what contributing factors play a role.
For Georgia, motorcyclist fatalities have steadily increased in recent years. In 2017 there were 139 fatalities, 154 in 2018, 170 in 2019, and 179 in 2020. From 2017 to 2019, motorcyclist fatalities increased by 22%.
In 2019, there were 3,948 motorcycle crashes statewide and a total of 4,269 motorcyclists involved in crashes. The fact sheet found that for every 100,000 registered motorcycles there were 1,941.5 motorcycle crashes. The Atlanta region accounted for 42% of motorcycle crashes, with findings that indicate metro-Atlanta has a higher rate of crashes compared to rural counties. The top counties with the highest number of motorcyclist fatalities and serious injuries were Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Bibb.
When it comes to licensure, valid motorcycle license holders are significantly underrepresented. According to the fact sheet, for the past decade, riders with some form of a Class M license only account for 6% of all licensed drivers. Yet in 2019, 51% of motorcyclists involved in crashes were riding with an invalid motorcycle license with 7% of those riders operating a motorcycle with no license.
Information: https://online.dds.ga.gov/motorcycle/index.aspx
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