A newly published report by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GADOT) shows that over 1,500 people died in car crashes in the state during 2017. This statistic, which equates to approximately four daily deaths, marks an increase in fatal crashes by as much as 33 percent over the previous year.
A spokesperson with GADOT notes that the state is already, unfortunately, on a path to outdo its 2017 statistics in 2018 if some proactive measures aren’t taken quickly.
They also note that as many as 60 percent of these fatal crashes in 2017 involved a single vehicle. In most cases, an investigation into the crash ends up showing that the motorist lost his or her life after leaving the lane he or she had originally been riding in.
In at least 50 percent of all motorist fatality cases, it’s later determined that the vehicles’ occupants died because they weren’t wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.
Perhaps most alarming, though, is that in an overwhelming majority of cases, GADOT has found that distracted driving was to blame as a contributing factor to the crash.
This alarming increase in fatal car crashes in Georgia has led many motorists to take additional precautions to avoid becoming the next statistic, especially since virtually every motorist has had a close call.
Drivers are more than ever being forced to not just drive safely themselves, but to be proactive in scanning the road for distracted drivers. This includes being on the lookout for slow drivers, or ones that are texting, eating or talking on the phone while driving.
As far as distracted driving is concerned, it’s become so much of a problem nowadays in the state that GADOT has recently launched its “Drive Alert Arrive Alive” campaign. It aims to inform motorists about just how potentially fatal it can be.
State legislators have also taken to lobbying for a hands-free driving bill to be passed in Georgia. Violators of the proposed law would face anywhere between $150 to $450 in fines for using their phone while on the road in the state.
If you’ve become permanently disabled after having been struck by a distracted motorist, then a Moultrie car accident attorney can guide you through the process of recovering medical bills resulting from your crash.
Source: Gabrielle Dawkins, “Fatal car accidents on the rise in Georgia,” WMAZ, Jan. 22, 2018