Why are deadly motorcycle crashes climbing in Tennessee?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — In 2022, 149 motorcyclists died on Tennessee roads. In 2023, that number jumped significantly to 200 killed. So why are motorcycle deaths climbing?
By the time Konrad Thiele was 14, he was riding a motorcycle.
“My father, Konrad, he got me into bikes as soon as he could be on one…it’s been my life for a long time, for sure,” explained Thiele.
Thiele is keenly aware of the risk he takes getting on that bike: “There are some people who treat the interstate like it’s a track and, you know, they pay accordingly.”
Lt. William Head with Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) has witnessed that reckless behavior first-hand when he’s patrolling: “Wheelies and standing on seats and stuff like that, just ridiculous, ridiculous things.”
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When the worst happens and a motorcyclist crashes, Head sees the crash data first-hand, as well. He’s in charge of the Tennessee Integrated Traffic Analysis Network (TITAN).
“The dashboards and the stats is really just kind of like a part of it…All law enforcement officers across the state have submitted these reports, and that’s where this data comes from,” Head explained.
Hundreds of thousands of crashes across Tennessee come to one web page, which helps law enforcement see the problem areas.
For example, in Montgomery County, the TITAN dashboard shows 165 motorcycle crashes in that county last year. In 2022, there were 162 crashes.
However, it’s the fatalities that made a significant jump, from eight in 2022 to 14 in 2023, including 19-year-old William Smallwood, a Fort Campbell soldier killed in a motorcycle crash on Fort Campbell Boulevard.
SEE ALSO: More young riders dying in Tennessee’s fatal motorcycle crashes, data finds
According to Clarksville police, speed and other vehicles are big factors.
“Speed is the most significant contributing factor…in most of the fatality crashes. Our message has just been the same, it’s just for people to slow down and look twice. That’s for motorists and people on motorcycles,” said Scott Beaubien, a Clarksville Police Department spokesperson.
The TITAN data confirms that more than half of crashes — 53% last year — involved more vehicles than just the motorcycle.
“Don’t expect the car drivers to see you. Assume that they’re going to come into your lane,” said Thiele.
For bikers like Thiele, though keenly aware of the dangerous statistics, life wouldn’t be the same without his motorcycle: “These are all toys, they’re all awesome machines, but at the end of the day, they are something to be respected, for sure.”
It’s important to note that while motorcycle crashes have gone up in Middle Tennessee, so has the population.
Deadly motorcycle accidents are on the rise in Tennessee. News 2 explores the disturbing trend and looks at ways to improve safety in a special report Riders at Risk. Find the latest articles in the Riders at Risk series here.
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