MURFREESBORO, Tenn (WTVF) — The Murfreesboro Police department teamed up with the TN Highway Safety Office to make drivers more aware of motorcycles on the road.
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness month. Agencies participate by providing information and increasing awareness in their communities about the importance of sharing the road.
Murfreesboro received a motorcycle safety grant from the state after it was recognized as an area for a high rate of motorcycle fatalities.
Officers will be out during peak times for motorcycles. They will also be warning motorcyclists to share the road.
"We're looking for reckless driving, looking for motorcycles following vehicles too closely, and for equipment violations such as unauthorized helmets," Captain Cary Gensemer said.
According to preliminary data, there were 2,701 motorcycle crashes in Tennessee last year. Of those crashes, 166 were fatal. In 2017, there were 147 motorcycle crashes in the city of Murfreesboro. Three of those were fatal. Over a three year period, from 2015-2017, there were a total of 422 motorcycle crashes in Murfreesboro; 13 resulted in fatalities.
The initiative will last until the end of September.
