Motorcycle safety is everyone’s business
If you knew that a person riding a motorcycle is 26 times more likely to suffer a traffic-related fatality than someone riding in a passenger car, would it change the way you drive?
Catoosa and Walker counties have seen a spate of motorcycle accidents recently that have ended in the tragic loss of life. The memorials created at crash sites bear witness to the heartbreak left behind.
On Jan. 31, motorcyclist Heath William Brown lost his life after colliding with a truck at LaFayette and Cloud Springs roads in Fort Oglethorpe.
Motorcyclist Robert May lost his life after being hit by a speeding vehicle on March 28 at LaFayette and Forrest Roads in Fort Oglethorpe.
Motorcyclist Grover Jesse Campbell III collided with another vehicle on May 24 at LaFayette Road and Patterson Avenue in Fort Oglethorpe and passed away two days later.
Motorcyclist Jeffrey Dwayne Creekmore lost his life on June 9 after colliding with a truck at Wilson Road and Glentana Avenue in Rossville.
Also on June 9, Chattanooga police were called to a wooded area near Missionary Ridge to investigate a fatal- ity. Authorities believe Justin Trimble, who had been missing since leaving a friend’s house on May 30, had left the roadway after hitting a curb in the 2500 block of Wilcox Boulevard while riding a black 2007 Kawasaki motorcycle.
Also, in neighboring Hamilton County, Tenn., Fort Oglethorpe resident and motorcyclist Arthur F. Todd lost his life in a collision on March 25.
Ringgold resident and motorcyclist Jim Garner died after colliding with another vehicle on April 23 in Marion County, Tenn.
In 2012, the most recent year for which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists statistics, 134 motorcycle riders were killed in traffic accidents in Georgia. A little over half of those accidents involved another vehicle.
Drivers of all types of vehicles have a responsibility for not only their own safety, but the safety of others, according to the NHTSA.
Cyclists should take into consideration that their vehicles are harder to see and more vulnerable and take extra precautions. Other drivers need to remember that cyclists have a right to be on the road and should be careful to keep an eye out for all types and sizes of vehicles.
Practical advice for motorcycle drivers includes keeping a close eye on surrounding traffic; eliminating distractions like music or conversation with passengers, especially when riding in unfamiliar areas or in heavy traffic; making your bike as visible as possible with reflective colors, lights and flags; observing speed limits; and driving sober.
For drivers of other vehicles: be aware of what’s around you at all times; check not only mirrors but turn to see what’s in the next lane before moving over; observe speed limits; listen as well as look for other traffic; drive sober and undistracted.
According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, “new national data is showing driver inattention is a key cause in most crashes and nearcrashes.”
The Georgia Department of Driver Services emphasizes that driving a motorcycle involves special skills that must be practiced. DDS encourages cyclists, even experienced ones, to take safety courses.
In the end, everyone’s safety is everyone’s business.
For more information on motorcycle safety, other safe driving practices, and accident statistics, visit www. nhtsa.gov.