The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) has received a $135,487 grant earmarked to benefit its Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GSMP). 

According to a press release by the organization, the grant was received from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) with funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The grant cycle will run from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023, and the funding will be used to help reduce motorcycle fatalities, increase driver awareness of motorcycles and help train motorcycle riders on how to ride safely. 

“Together, the DDS and GOHS continue to provide quality rider education and safety awareness messages across the state,” DDS Commissioner Spencer Moore said in the release. “We are excited that the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program was, once again, the recipient of this grant to continue their service to the citizens of Georgia.” 

According to the Insurance Information Institute, motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to die in a crash than automobile riders, the release said. The GSMP promotes driver awareness of motorcycles on the highways, rider education at 14 locations across the state and motorcycle safety initiatives, and the GOHS grant will allow the program to continue these efforts across the state. 

“The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is working with all of our highway safety partners to reverse the increase in traffic deaths we have seen in the United States in the last two years and the goal of this project is to prevent crashes and save lives on our roads,” GOHS Director Allen Poole said in the release. “We ask everyone to join the mission of saving lives on our roads by driving the speed limit, wearing your seatbelt, staying off the phone when driving and never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.” 

The GSMP regulates motorcycle training for new riders and experienced riders alike, the release said. Classes focus on riding a motorcycle safely and legally, and are offered with increasing levels of difficulty from the Basic Riders Course to the Advanced Rider Course. 

“Because a formally trained rider is a safer rider, we want to ensure everyone has access to proper rider education,” GSMP Program Manager Holly Hegyesi said in the release. “Motorcycle safety classes are essential for new and experienced riders alike. Almost one third of motorcycle fatalities involve a rider without a valid training or license.” 

To learn more about the GSMP or to enroll in a motorcycle class, go to https://dds.georgia.gov/regulated-programs/motorcycle-safety-program.