CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One of the first lines of defense for motorcycle riders is safety equipment, which is something the Tennessee Highway Patrol knows and is working to enforce along with increasing awareness of other dangers for riders.
Prime time for motorcycles out on the roads is usually the spring and summer, which is why the THP focuses its “Look Twice” campaign in the month of May. But safety is always top of mind, especially when the snapshot of crashes is this concerning.
“The trend looks like it’s increasing. Actually, when we look at January from 2022, there were 10 fatal or serious injury motorcycle crashes statewide. But in 2023, this past year, January, there were 21. So that doubled. And when you think about individuals, that’s a big number,” said Arriale Tabson with THP.
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One area of Middle Tennessee raised a lot of red flags in the latest report. “I will tell you Montgomery County is a big area that we’re looking into when it comes to traffic fatalities related to motorcycle crashes,” says Tabson.