Part of the Jacksonville Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Initiative

Duval County is home to more than 55,000 motorcycle-endorsed drivers and nearly 26,000 registered motorcycles. Riders are an important part of our local community, economy, and culture. Yet Duval County continues to experience one of the highest numbers of motorcycle crashes and fatalities in Florida.

This is more than a rider issue. It is a Jacksonville community issue.

This petition is the first step in the Jacksonville Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Initiative, a community effort focused on improving motorcycle safety through better investigations, stronger awareness, practical prevention efforts, and collaboration between the city and the riding community.

This is not about assigning automatic blame or creating harsher penalties without cause. It is about consistency, transparency, accountability, education, and prevention.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR

Consistent Investigation Standards
When a motorcyclist is killed or seriously injured, the crash should receive a thorough and consistent investigation by the agencies involved in the response, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, and other appropriate law enforcement agencies.

Motorcycle crashes have unique factors that differ from passenger vehicle crashes. Investigations should reflect those differences through motorcycle-specific training for officers and crash investigators, including what evidence to look for and what questions to ask.

This should include crash reconstruction when appropriate, thorough scene documentation, witness interviews, preservation of physical evidence, retrieval and review of available traffic cameras, surveillance video, dash camera footage, or other recordings whenever possible, and review for distracted or impaired driving when legally appropriate.

Transparency for Families
Families should never be left wondering whether every reasonable step was taken to determine what happened to their loved one.

When a motorcyclist is killed or seriously injured, families deserve clear communication whenever possible regarding the status of the investigation, available findings, and case closure.

Every family deserves answers.

Accountability When Negligence Is Proven
This petition is not asking for automatic criminal charges.

It asks for consistent accountability when a complete investigation determines negligence contributed to a crash, including failure to yield, distracted driving, careless driving, or reckless driving.

Accountability should always be based on the findings of a complete investigation.

Motorcycle Awareness & Prevention
Investigation is only one part of improving safety. Jacksonville also has an opportunity to expand motorcycle awareness through practical, community-driven efforts.

This may include motorcycle awareness campaigns, driver education initiatives, school and youth education opportunities, motorcycle-specific roadway hazard signage, high motorcycle traffic awareness signage, positive promotion of motorcycle charity rides and safety events, and partnerships between city leaders, law enforcement, rider organizations, businesses, and the motorcycle community.

Motorcycles should not only become part of the conversation after a tragedy. The motorcycle community contributes to Jacksonville every day through local businesses, charities, volunteer work, military service, first responders, healthcare workers, educators, and countless other professions.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Most of us know someone who has been injured, lost, or forever impacted by a motorcycle crash.

Many families are left grieving while also searching for answers about what happened and whether every reasonable step was taken during the investigation.

This initiative is not about changing the past. It is about learning from it, working together in the present, and building a safer future for everyone who shares our roads.

MY PERSONAL WHY

Over the years, I have lost friends, seen riders injured, supported families, and witnessed the lasting impact motorcycle crashes have on our community.

My late husband was killed in a motorcycle accident, leaving our children without their father and our family with questions that remain unanswered.

In the aftermath, there was little to no formal investigation. There was no crash reconstruction and no clear explanation provided to our family.

No family should ever have to wonder whether everything possible was done to determine what happened to the person they love.

OUR GOAL

This petition is the beginning of a larger conversation.

Real change happens when communities, law enforcement, local government, businesses, and riders work together toward a common goal.

Together, we have an opportunity to make Jacksonville a leader in motorcycle safety through better investigations, stronger awareness, practical prevention efforts, and meaningful partnerships between our community and local government.

We respectfully ask Jacksonville’s leaders to work alongside the motorcycle community to strengthen investigative standards, improve awareness, and continue building a safer city for everyone who shares our roads.

Every motorcyclist deserves a thorough investigation. Families deserve answers.

Together, we can make Jacksonville one of the safest and most motorcycle-aware cities in Florida.

Amber Stemple
Jacksonville Resident & Motorcycle Community Advocate