Investigating the Severity and Rate of Occurrence of Motorcycle Crashes Across Different Land Uses in Georgia

In 2020, motorcycle crashes reached their highest number of fatalities nationally since 1975, when 5,579 motorcyclists were killed. Georgia, in recent years, has seen an increase in the number of fatal multi-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles. This would be indicative of the general trend and nothing more if the number of motorcycle crashes reported outside of urban populations did not increase—despite lockdown measures—by 1.7% in 2020. In this investigation, employing a thorough examination of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Crash Data (GDOT) compiled from the last ten years and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) compiled from the last five years, conclusions will be drawn regarding location and the number of vehicles involved as factors. This study makes evidence of data sheets by The National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). In addition, graphed data of the annual numbers of crashes inside of Atlanta and the Metro Atlanta area vs. annual numbers of crashes outside of Atlanta and Metro Atlanta in Georgia from 2017-2021 is analyzed and applied in this research. The severity of crashes will be defined according to Georgia’s KABCO scale and factors affecting higher severities will be identified. Microsoft Excel will be the primary tool used to sort cases by specific factors and determine any logical correlations. The findings of this will provide guidance on how to improve motorcycle safety in Georgia. Key Words: Motorcycle Crashes, Urban & Rural Land Use, Crash Severity, Annual Numbers, Georgia, KABCO Scale