Georgia Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Although we still see our fair share of motorcycle accidents and fatalities, the statistics presented by the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety show that we have learned some valuable lessons within as little as a three-year time span the following factors make a difference in saving a life while operating a motorcycle:

1. Wearing a protective helmet;
2. Not drinking and driving while operating a motorcycle; and
3. The older that a person is when operating a motorcycle, the more likely that a life will be saved.

At Julie A. Rice, Attorney at Law, & Affiliates we have represented hundreds of people involved in motorcycle accidents in Georgia. The injuries that we see in our law practice range from minor cuts and bruises and minor property damage to catastrophic injuries such as the loss of a limb or limbs, or traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries with the motorcycle being damaged beyond recognition.

In the worst-case scenarios, we are meeting with family members in these tragic cases since the motorcycle driver is deceased from the accident. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident or a loved one has been tragically killed in a motorcycle accident, then please contact us as soon as you can so that we may being investigating your case. We can be reached 24/7 by phone at 770-865-8654, by email at juliericelaw@icloud.com or via our website.

Motorcycle Accident Statistics In Georgia

Let’s first discuss the statistics to make sense of why the numbers of fatalities in motorcycle accidents have, in fact, come down, in a relatively short period of time to see if we can learn some valuable safety techniques and lessons so that fatalities in motorcycle accidents become the rare occasion instead of the normal result.

The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has conducted all of these studies mentioned here. One study conducted from 2008 until 2012 focused on whether or not helmet use saved lives. In 2005, the lives that were saved by wearing a helmet were 74. Just three years later in 2008, the lives saved by using a helmet had increased to 97. This study seemed to indicate that we learned that wearing a helmet did save lives. The next study evaluated the age of the person driving the motorcycle.

The study showed that the younger the driver, the more likely the driver would be involved in a fatal motorcycle crash. For example, in 2008 the number of people under the age of 20 years old killed in a motorcycle crash was 10. A year later, however, in 2009, the same age group, younger than 20, had a death rate of only two, in 2010 the death rate was five, in 2011 the death rate was three and in 2012 the death rate was again three. This is a dramatic decrease from a death rate of 10 in 2009 to only three in 2012, just four years later.

The study continues with different age groups and with few exceptions by the time the age of the motorcycle rider was over 59, the death rate had reduced dramatically. This would indicate that we learned that the older and hopefully the more experienced and cautious the driver, the less risk of a motorcycle accident fatality. One study that showed a very dramatic decrease in motorcycle accident fatalities was a study that compared the number of fatalities in general verses the number of fatalities per 100,000 Motorcycles that were registered.

For example, in 2008, there were 178 fatalities in general, but only 94.64 fatalities per 100,000 Motorcycles actually registered. This may indicate that the more responsible motorcycle owner who actually registers her or his motorcycle is less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than the person who is less responsible and does not bother to register their motorcycle or simply uses the motorcycle less and, therefore, does not feel the need to register the machine.

The most optimistic part of this study, however, is that by the year 2010, the total number of motorcycle fatalities had dropped to 128. This is 50 less than in just two years prior in 2008 with 64.99 fatalities per 100,000 motorcycles registered which was down by over 29 people who had been killed in just a two-year time span. Of course, we would like to see all motorcycle users register their machines even though this is not a guarantee of safety, but it is very enthusiastic to see that the number of fatalities across the board has lowered by a significant amount in a very short period. This may indicate that even the less serious motorcycle rider is taking extra safety precautions in line with their more serious counterparts.

The final study that is of interest that was conducted by the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety examined the number of fatalities from 2005 until the year 2011 based upon the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of the deceased driver. In 2005, the total number of motorcycle deaths was 1,161, and 47 percent of those deaths (547) involved a BAC. Interestingly, the total number of fatalities from 2005 until 2011 consistently decreased to the point that there were only 839 deaths in 2011, which is almost half less fatalities in 6 years.

The fatalities involving a BAC, however, between the years of 2006 until 2011 was never as low as the 47 percent reported in 2005 and, in fact, the percentages ranged from 48 percent in 2006 to 52 percent in 2011 with the highest in 2010 at 62 percent. Although these statistics may indicate that people who elect to drive motorcycles do not heed drinking and driving warnings seriously, it is very important to note that the total number of fatalities from 2005 which was 1,161 dropped significantly in the next five years to only 839 total fatalities in 2010.

This is almost a 50 percent decrease in the total number of people who were killed in motorcycle accidents. The exact numbers being 1,154 killed in 2006, 1,087 killed in 2007, 1,022 killed in 2008, 865 killed in 2009, and 806 killed in 2010. These numbers give much hope that motorcycle fatalities are dramatically reducing each year.