According to a study commissioned by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, motorcycle driver fatalities in Georgia have been steadily increasing over the past two decades.  In 2008, motorcycle accidents resulted in 177 motorcycle driver fatalities in the state of Georgia. This is a 59 percent increase from the 111 motorcycle fatalities reported in 2004.

The increase in fatal accidents is likely tied to the 63 percent increase in registered motorcycles between 2004 and 2008.  The number of registered motorcycles in Georgia was just over 118,000 in 2004 and increased to almost 193,000 in 2008.

The appeal of motorcycles is easy to see because drivers can save money on gas and enjoy the beautiful Georgia weather. Unfortunately, motorcycles are also inherently less stable than cars and provide occupants with virtually no protection from the impact of a crash.   Accordingly, motorcyclists are 34 times more likely to die in a crash than drivers of a passenger car.

Another worrisome finding from the study is that a significant number of motorcycle drivers still do not wear helmets. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that helmets saved the lives of 1,829 motorcyclists nationally in 2008. Another 823 motorcycle drivers across the country could have been saved that year if all motorcyclists wore helmets.  The 2008 statistics for Georgia show that helmets saved 97 lives and that an additional five people could have been saved if all Georgia motorcyclists wore helmets.

Despite training and safety precautions like wearing a helmet, accidents still happen.  If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and need legal representation, call an experienced Atlanta personal injury law firm to get you the results you need.