Georgia Personal Injury Law Blog : Atlanta Georgia Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Jason R. Schultz Law Firm : Wrongful Death, Malpractice, Car Accidents : Georgia

Political gridlock in the nation’s capital has led to thousands of Department of Transportation employees being furloughed without pay, and has cut off essential funding to state highway and auto safety programs. As an accident lawyer in Atlanta, I am very concerned at how long this impasse will continue, and how badly it will affect motorist and trucking safety in Georgia.

On Sunday, the DOT issued a statement saying that it would be furloughing up to 2000 workers belonging to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The stalemate also affects highway funds that the federal administration provides to states to conduct safety programs.

The deadlock began when Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning blocked a piece of legislation that would've extended highway programs and unemployment benefits to transportation workers. It is likely that this deadlock will soon be resolved, but states around the country are already sending out distress signals about their fears over slashed highway safety funds. According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, if the funding cuts go on past the middle of this week, it will impact trucking safety. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is comprised of police officers who are specialized in trucking enforcement. This sub agency is funded in part by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. With funding now hanging in a state of limbo, several states will be impacted adversely. Smaller states will bear the brunt of the blocked federal funding.

Atlanta accident lawyers will also be concerned about motorcycle safety programs, drunk driving crash prevention measures and efforts against distracted driving, which will now be impacted by the funding standoff.

It's unfortunate that political bickering is threatening the safety of ordinary Americans.  It is my hope that this crisis is resolved soon and funding for essential safety programs is resumed quickly.

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The Federal Highway Administration earlier this month announced the launch of a new study into the causes of motorcycle accidents.  The announcement of the study, which will be conducted at the Oklahoma State University, has been welcomed by the American Motorcyclist Association. The study is being funded by lawmakers and the motorcycle community. It will evaluate data from motorcycle crashes and isolate common factors. It will also look into what kind of counter measures can minimize the impact of these causal factors.

The last major motorcycle accident study in the country was conducted in 1981. That study resulted in the release of a report called “Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Counter Measures,” also known as the Hurt Report. The information that was derived from that study has been of great help in understanding the causes for motorcycle accidents, and the development of effective strategies to prevent them.

However, since the Hurt report came out in 1981, the following changes have taken place:

• There are an increased number of registered motorcycles on American highways.
• Contrary to 1981, many of today's motorcyclists are men above the age of 50.
• Today's motorcycles are far more powerful than before.
• The numbers of motor vehicles on our roads have increased greatly
• The distractions that motorists face everyday have also increased dramatically.

A fresh study into the causes of motorcycle accidents has been long overdue.  Nationwide and in Georgia, there has been an increase in motorcycle crash fatalities, a trend that has been rising steadily over the past decade.  As an Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer, I am glad to see that there will be a "fresh" look into common motorcycle crashes which promises to yield new insight for all of us.

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