CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — There have been hundreds of motorcycle crashes across Tennessee. In Clarksville, law enforcement has taken some steps to educate drivers to try and prevent additional crashes.
According to data from the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security, at least 130 motorcycle-related traffic crashes have happened every year across Montgomery County for the past five years. A significant number of those crashes have been deadly.
Montgomery County officials told News 2 that trouble spots include Fort Campbell Boulevard, Tiny Town Road and area highways.
"It doesn't just happen on those roads," Sergeant Dennis Bowles with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. "We have some incidents that happen on side roads, but those are the main roads that have most of the incidents."
So far this year, state data revealed that there have been 32 motorcycle crashes in Montgomery County. Thirteen of those crashes were deadly and 10 of those deadly crashes involved the use of drugs and/or alcohol.
Bowles said authorities are looking to work with community members to combat unsafe motorcycle habits and solicit feedback on how to better respond to serious crashes.
"We haven't identified specific factors, so we're going to go at it from all angles and try to use statistics and numbers and maybe some buy-in and feedback from the community and try to get [a] better awareness of how we can accomplish the common goal of reducing those fatal numbers or injury crashes," Bowles said.
On April 26, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Traffic Safety Taskforce is hosting a Motorcycle Safety Convention at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Airport to bring awareness and build relationships between first responders and the motorcycle community.
The Traffic Safety Taskforce group is made up of first responders focused on traffic safety. The Motorcycle Safety Convention will include several activities with raffles, vendors, a bike show with awards, and more. The event is free to the public and the motorcycle community is encouraged to enter their bikes in the show. Gates will open at 10 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.