GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY - Georgia State Patrol - Motor Carrier Compliance Division - Capitol Police

Transcription

1 GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY - Georgia State Patrol - Motor Carrier Compliance Division - Capitol Police Public Information Office (404) / gsppio@gsp.net<mailto:gsppio@gsp.net> March 3, 2011 NEWS RELEASE GSP EXPANDS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY INITIATIVE (ATLANTA) - The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) has received a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to collect data over the next two years to improve motorcycle safety. The $70,000 grant will be used to conduct six, one-day safety checkpoints between March 1 of this year and December 31, Lt. Colonel Mark McDonough, DPS Deputy Commissioner, said the goal of the checkpoints is to reduce the number of crashes involving motorcyclists that result in injuries and fatalities. "In a six-year period, Georgia has seen the proportion of fatal motorcycle crashes grow to 12 times greater than that of passenger cars," he said. "Additionally, traffic crashes involving motorcyclists result in injury or death for 72 percent of the motorcycle operators compared to 16 percent of occupants of passenger cars." Georgia saw a sharp increase in the number of fatal crashes involving motorcyclists between 2005 and 2008 as the number of motorcycles registered in the state reached an all-time high. There were 167 motorcycle operators or passengers killed in crashes in Lt. Colonel McDonough 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, the Georgia State Patrol launched specialized patrols that included aviation support during the summer months when weekend motorcycle traffic is the heaviest. The enforcement effort along metro Atlanta interstates is focused on motorcycle operators traveling at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic, traveling in the emergency lane, or driving recklessly around other vehicles. Lt. Colonel McDonough noted troopers have also cited motorcycle operators popping "wheelies" while traveling the roadways. Since the public education initiative was implemented among all drivers across the state, the number of motorcycle-related fatalities has decreased in Georgia from the 167 recorded in 2008 to a preliminary count of 110 people last year, a 35 percent decrease. So far in 2011, there have been six motorcycle fatalities. "The first step in reducing motorcycle deaths was the educating of all drivers of the dangers motorcyclists face on our roads, and now the next step will combine enforcement and education to enhance the safety of motorcycle operators and passengers," he said. "We will be checking to make sure the operator has the proper class of license to operate a motorcycle and a DOT-approved helmet. We will also check that the motorcycle is in good operating condition with good tires, a headlight, and a taillight that is working." The Lt. Colonel said troopers will be concentrating on the basic violations to protect the operator and

2 passenger in the event of a crash and minimize the injuries they sustain. The first safety checkpoints of 2011 will be conducted Wednesday, March 9 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. along Interstate 75 at the Southbound Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station in Monroe County. During the same time period, another checkpoint will be established at the Southbound Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station along I-95 in Chatham County, north of Savannah. Lt. Colonel McDonough said the checkpoints will operate in the same manner as passenger vehicle safety checks conducted each day across the state. Motorcycle operators will be directed by portable highway signs to exit the interstate at the inspection stations where troopers or officers will check that the operator has the proper class of license for the vehicle, a valid tag, a federal DOT-approved motorcycle helmet, and that the operator is not under the influence of alcohol. "For the average operator with the proper license and equipment, the delay should be about a minute," he said. The Deputy Commissioner noted that between 2000 and 2006, the fatal crash rate increased 60.8 percent. "Our goal is to make travel in Georgia safer, especially for motorcyclists who are at a greater risk of injury or death in a crash," he noted. Additional safety checks will be held in the spring and fall this year. Linda Allen responds to the Georgia DSP press release Today Linda Allen ABATE of GEORGIA LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR legislative.director@abatega.org I would like to address several points and issues that were highlighted in the GPS announcement. 1. How do safety checkpoints address the goal of reducing crashes involving motorcyclists that result in injury and death? ABATE asked the GOHS... for a breakdown of the number of single vehicle crashes vs the number of motorcycle crashes involving another vehicle. There is not a breakdown in the statistics on the GOHS website that document that most crashes involve a cager hitting a motorcycle. I don t see how safety check points will address the issue of reducing crashes and I don t see the check points for cagers. I am tired of losing my brothers and sisters to careless cagers that don t receive so much as a slap on the wrist for killing us. I am tired of tax payer s money funding ridiculous programs that fail to address the real issue of funding education and motorcycle awareness. 2. The announcement explains the DECREASE in fatalities by stating that GPS conducted a public awareness campaign including a media campaign. Does anybody remember even hearing about such a campaign? ABATE of Georgia has repeatedly requested grant funds to provide motorcycle safety awareness campaigns that would include education to our teenage drivers, information in driver manuals, accident scene management to reduce the severity of injuries sustained that could save lives, we have

3 been turned down repeatedly yet $70,000 will be spent on safety check points that have NO BEARING on reducing the number or severity of crashes. 3. The announcement further states that GPS is focused on high speed and reckless motorcyclists. How does a safety check point address high speed and reckless driving by motorcyclists? And why isn t GPS focused on educating the high speed and reckless driving of the cagers that are killing us. 4. The announcement states that GPS will be looking for non-dot approved helmets, valid tags and motorcycle endorsements. While GPS and GOHS would like you to believe that helmets cause accidents PEOPLE cause accidents not helmets. I can t think of a single accident caused by an invalid tag. 5. The announcement states that motorcyclists will be delayed about 1 minute. 1 minute? What about the hours of stalled traffic and time it takes to get into a safety check point? A 1 minute stop? How will a safety check be completed in 1 minute? BUT WHAT ALL OF THIS REALLY COMES DOWN TO IS THAT SAFETY CHECK POINTS ARE DISCRIMINATORY AND VIOLATE OUR RIGHTS UNDER THE 4TH AMENDMENT! WE MUST STAND TOGETHER AND LET OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS UNITIED AND WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THE ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OUR RIGHTS

4 Press Release for Immediate Distribution March 4th, 2011 A.B.A.T.E of Georgia American Bikers Active Toward Education Austell GA Daniel Forrest, State Director A.B.A.T.E. of Georgia in response to The Press Release dated March 3, 2011 from the Georgia Dept of Public Safety [GDPS] Joins Forces with The American Motorcycle Association [AMA], US Representative Jim Sensenbrenner [R-WI], US Representatives Tom Petri [R-WI] Paul Ryan [R-WI] in denouncing the Motorcycle ONLY Safety checkpoints as being Discriminatory and a complete waste of Taxpayers Money. A.B.A.T.E. of Georgia has worked diligently to STOP these checkpoints with calls, s, and letters to no avail. Letters from the AMA to both Governors Perdue and Deal requesting that they suspend the implementation of these stops have gone unanswered. Data in the GDPS Statement concerning a decrease in highway fatalities involving motorcycles due to their public education project in 2009 is encouraging as this supports the position that A.B.A.T.E. of Georgia has in promoting that education for the general motoring public in schools, churches and civic clubs will reduce deaths among our riders. Awareness programs, that let the general motorist focus on the vulnerability of motorcyclist, is the number one way to reduce accidents and deaths. A.B.A.T.E. of Georgia and the American Motorcycle Association both feel that the primary source of motorcycle safety is in motorcycle crash prevention not the arbitrary pulling over of riders and subjecting them to road side inspections. The NHTSA and GDPS should focus on decreasing the likelihood of crashes occurring through better education of the motoring public and awareness programs that last more than a day or

5 two during Motorcycle Safety Month. Deaths from all vehicle accidents in Georgia were down from 1114 to 984 during through per a report that can be found on the GOHS website. This is consistent with the decrease in Motorcycle Fatalities as well. Statistics vary but most recently the numbers show that approx 38% of all Motorcycle accidents result from an automobile making a turn in front of a motorcycle, not from a safety violation by the motorcyclist. When asked what the percentage of single motorcycle accidents [no other vehicle involved] were caused due to unsafe equipment, the spokesman from the Governors Office of Highway Safety said that no statistics are available. If Motorcycle Safety Checks are to help reduce Accidents and Fatalities then no reliable data can support that claim. A.B.A.T.E. of Georgia concurs with a congressional letter from Sensenbrenner dated September to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urging that they stop the Motorcycle Only Stops as the previous ones in New York State could not provide any data indicating that they would or have reduce crashes. The State of Georgia was the ONLY State to receive funds. Discrimination against motorcyclist by the Georgia Department of Public Safety has to cease. Being singled out due to what we drive is a misuse of power and should not be tolerated. The use of government funds to finance such a program of bias should be condemned by every citizen in this Great State of Georgia. Motorcycle riders have long been known for their large and generous nature in raising money for those in need with out regard to their social status or whether or not they ride a motorcycle. I asked a spokesperson at GOHS to please tell me that this is not just another form of Fund Raising using Motorcyclists. He replied that that raising funds through this program was just a myth. IF that is the case then NO citations should be issued or the myth will be a truth.

6 The GDOP states that one minute should be all that it takes for these checks to take place. Imagine if you will that the rider needs to stop his motorcycle, dismount, locate in his or pockets or pouches the necessary documents. This may include the removal of Chaps, gloves, helmet and other safety gear. Then the entire process must be repeated for the rider to get underway. I ride and I can promise you this is a 5 to 10 minute ordeal per motorcycle. This does not even take in consideration that these stops are done in conjunction with high traffic motorcycle events to maximize the number of riders detained. With the high volume of traffic the waiting time combined with the display of paper work can take 20 minutes or more. A violation of even Georgia s roadblock parameters Citizens of Georgia join with us to put an end to Discrimination, Harassment and the denial of our 4th amendment rights. Call, write or the Governors Office and request that motorcycle riders not be treated as second class citizens. Stop the check points. We have been there for you now please be there for us.