Griffin, GA, only has a population of 23,643 residents. This small population means there is little traffic on most roads, which supports safe bicycling almost everywhere in the city.

But bicycle accidents still happen. In fact, Spalding County averages a few bicycle crashes and one or two bicycle deaths every year.

Below, you can learn about bicycle safety in Griffin and the infrastructure the city, county, and state have planned for the area.

Griffin Bicycle Accident Statistics

Georgia provides traffic accident statistics through its Crash Data Portal. This portal allows you to filter accident data by time, type, and location. The statistics cited below come from the Crash Data Portal.

Between 2013 and 2021, Griffin averaged three bicycle crashes per year. However, the number of crashes can vary widely from year to year. In 2016 and 2019, for example, Griffin had six crashes, but in 2015, the city only had a single crash.

Using nine years of data from the Crash Data Portal to get a bigger sample size, a few patterns emerge. Young male drivers are the most likely to hit a bicyclist. 40% of Griffin bike accidents were caused by drivers under 24 years old. Over 62% of the drivers who hit bicycles were male.

Passenger cars were the most likely to hit bicyclists, followed by SUVs and pickup trucks. Griffin had one crash between a motorcycle and a bicycle. It also had one accident in which a semitruck hit a bicycle.

According to the Crash Data Portal, the most dangerous time to ride a bicycle tends to be during the afternoon rush hour. Over 25% of bike accidents in Griffin happened between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. 

Late-night bike rides were also dangerous. Almost 15% of the city’s bike accidents happened between 11 p.m. and midnight. These two times accounted for 11 of the 27 bike accidents in Griffin.

The most dangerous time of the year for bicyclists in Griffin is summer. Over 48% of bicycle crashes in Griffin happen in June, July, or August.

Bicycle Injuries and Fatalities in Griffin

The 27 bike accidents in Griffin caused one death and 19 injuries, according to the Crash Data Portal. 15 of those injured were bicyclists, three were motorists, and one was a pedestrian.

Of the bicyclists involved in accidents, only a single rider was wearing a helmet. The bicyclist who died was not wearing a helmet, either.

The harm suffered by the bicyclists included five serious injuries. Serious injuries include major lacerations, fractures, and head trauma that incapacitates an accident victim.

Bicyclists also suffered five minor injuries in Griffin bike accidents. Minor injuries often leave visible signs, like cuts and bruises, but do not incapacitate the accident victim.

The five remaining injuries were classified as suspected injuries. Suspected injuries are cited when the accident victim complained of pain or other symptoms but had no visible injuries.

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Griffin

Bicycles are prone to single-vehicle crashes. They require balance and skill to ride safely. If anything throws off a bicyclist’s balance, the bicycle can crash.

Of the 27 bicycle accidents in Griffin since 2013, 14 were single-vehicle accidents. These accidents were included in the Crash Data Portal because the police filed traffic accident reports concerning the event.

Reasons a single-vehicle accident might have an accident report include:

  • A bicyclist was injured or killed
  • The bicycle damaged property, like a parked car or street sign
  • The bicyclist hit a pedestrian

The remaining 13 bike accidents involved motor vehicle collisions. According to the Crash Data Portal, the bicyclist was blamed for six of these accidents, while the driver was blamed for the remaining seven.

In all 13 collisions, the vehicle was traveling straight when it hit a bicycle.

Intersections were particularly dangerous for bicyclists. In six of the collisions, the bicycle was turning left when it got hit. In four accidents, the bicycle was turning right at the time of the crash. Finally, in two of these accidents, the driver was cited for failing to yield the right of way appropriately to the bicyclist.

Accidents also happened between intersections. Two accidents happened when the driver misjudged their clearance while passing a bicyclist. In two other accidents, the bicyclist was faulted for riding on the wrong side of the road.

According to the Crash Data Portal, one of these accidents involved an intoxicated driver and another involved an intoxicated bicyclist. Over half of the bicycle accidents reported involved a distracted rider or driver.

Common Bicycle Accident Locations in Griffin

Bicycle accidents occurred all over Griffin. But three streets were the site of multiple accidents between 2013 and 2021, according to data from the Crash Data Portal.

US-19 BUS/Taylor St.

This street had six bicycle accidents. Five of these accidents happened between 10th St. and 16th St.

4th St.

Two bicycle accidents happened on the northern section of 4th St. One happened at the intersection with Tinsley St., while the other happened at the intersection with Solomon St.

SR-92/McIntosh Rd.

This road had two bike accidents within one block, with both accidents occurring between Pine Dr. and Alice St.

Griffin Bicycle Infrastructure

Griffin stands out among cities in Georgia for having a bicycle strategic plan. Approved in 2016, the plan calls for mixed-use trails reserved for pedestrians, bicycles, and other non-motorized vehicles. These trails will run along Hill St., Solomon St., and 5th St.

The plan also calls for budget appropriations to add bike lanes to several of Griffin’s busiest roads, including:

  • E. College St.
  • Experiment St.
  • Memorial Dr.
  • N. Hill St.
  • E. McIntosh Rd.
  • S. Pine St.
  • W. Poplar St.

By widening shoulders where possible and adding bike lanes to these roads, the plan aims to separate bikes from vehicle traffic.

Bicycling Safely Around Griffin

Bicycle accidents do not happen often in Griffin. But when they happen, they tend to have similar causes. Drivers have a hard time spotting bicycles, which is why it’s important for riders to be extra cautious around intersections.

Drivers also tend to crowd bicycles. When you’re riding, you should try to stay as far to the right as possible. If you can take just a few steps to ride defensively, you can improve your chances of having a safe ride in Griffin.

For more information, see our benchmarking report and more information on past benchmarking reports.