Motorcycle Wrecks on the Rise in Georgia

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of accidents involving motorcyclists has increased by 110% every year since 1998. This is the opposite finding for car accidents, which have decreased each year over the last decade. The Georgia Department of Transportation reported that there were 167 fatal bike wrecks in Georgia in 2008 alone.

In the month of August, there have been numerous accidents on Georgia's highways and interstates involving motorcyclists. In Tift County this past Friday night, a motorcyclist was killed on Highway 82 where it intersected with I-75 in Tifton. Just south of Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, a chain-reaction crash involving 6 motorcycles and 3 cars sent 8 people to the hospital with injuries. Apparently those motorcyclists had been to the National Bikers Roundup at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, a hugely popular biker event. That same Sunday, another motorcylist was killed on I-85 in Franklin County, Georgia. Four days later, another chain-reaction crash resulted in the death of one motorcyclist and injuries to 4 others when an SUV failed to yield while merging onto I-285.

When the weather is suitable for riding, motorcycles are truly everywhere on Georgia's highways and interstates. Heading into the fall season, a favored time for bike riders, we all need to be aware of who and what's around us on the road. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has published a Top 10 List with helpful information for all drivers to help ensure the safety of all who use the roads and highways in Georgia.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a car accident or motorcycle crash, contact the lawyers at the Studstill Firm, LLP for a free consultation about your case.