Motorcycles take less fuel, and many people enjoy riding them. But safety is key to enjoying the ride.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety was awarded a $70,000 grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to improve motorcycle safety in the state.
The grant will be used for six road checks, the first of which will be March 9 along I-75 in Monroe County. During the same time, law enforcement will conduct checks in Chatham County on I-95.
It is during these road checks that officers often find motorcyclists who don’t have the right licenses, police said.
Motorcyclists are supposed to have a Class M license, which requires a motorcycle driving test.
“I think one of the biggest problems around here is the lack of a motorcycle class driver’s license, which means you haven’t proven you can handle one or that you know the law requirements regarding one,” said Lt. Roy Willingham of the Rome Police Department.
Sgt. Greg Beck of the Floyd County Police Department said if motorcyclists do not have the proper license and are caught, they will be cited and possibly taken to jail. The motorcycle will be confiscated, but the driver can get it back once they have the proper license.
Most do comply with driving laws, Beck said. Motorcycle violations usually involve speed and reckless driving, he said.
“There is a small percentage that drive recklessly,” Beck said. “Those are the ones we are trying to reach.”
Law enforcement officials have been cracking down on motorcyclists in an effort to reduce deaths.
Their efforts appear to be working.
In 2008, 167 motorcyclists were killed in crashes in Georgia, according to statistics from the Department of Public Safety.
That number dropped to 110 last year. So far this year, six motorcyclists have lost their lives in wrecks.
Lt. Col. Mark McDonough, deputy commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said the department initiated a public education project in 2009 to raise awareness among all drivers of the need to watch for motorcyclists.
The efforts included safety education presentations to school, church and civic groups by Georgia State Troopers as well as media outreach.
Also they can pass all the laws they want too allowing a motorcycle rider to "run" a red light, but this ole boy ain't gonna do that. The law may let you do it, but the law of averages will get you sooner or later, and the motorcycle rider will not see a car or will think he can go before the car gets to him and then the mayhem will begin. Whose fault would that be? I will continue to wait a red light out, put my kickstand down when needed and wait until i have a green light. Just like I wear my helmet in states that do not have helmet laws. I may not be too pretty to look at, but at least I still have my brains inside my head.
File13, I fully understand what you are saying. There are many idiots riding motorcycles these days, and they are growing in numbers every day. But on the other hand, I can tell you of dozens of times I was almost ran over by a car because they "didn't see me" or didn't want to see me. I even had a guy one day sitting at a redlight decide to pull out of his lane and pull into the area where I was stopped, waiting for the light to change. I had to either pull off, or he would have just ran over me.
the grant money shouldn't be used to pay what should be done as a daily responsibility of law enforcement. Motorcyclist should not be singled out in a license check. Stop and check all drivers.Motorcycle riders as well as the rest of drivers should be encouraged to attend classes on
safe driving.
I heard there is possible legislation that would extend the privlege to motorcyclist to proceed through a red light after they wait 10 seconds and no cross traffic is approaching.
The reason being their combined wait doesn't trigger a treadle switch in the pavement detecting their presence. ( Not all intresections are so controlled ) Here again don't sinle out the cyclist. All drivers should be able to do this. ( Buy stock in a Funeral Home )......I'll wear a helment to be able to stop wait and go....
The more laws you make the more lawbreakers you make....