2009 might have seen the lowest numbers of auto, truck and motorcycle accidents, injuries and fatalities in years, but there’s still much that can be done to improve traffic safety in Georgia. Atlanta car accident lawyers have a particular list of goodies that they would love to see delivered by state transportation safety agencies and federal agencies to decrease accidents in Atlanta and throughout Georgia.
Here is our Most Wanted list for 2011.
More Progress against Distracted Driving
We now have laws in Georgia banning texting while driving for motorists, but we could do more to end the influence of technological distractions while driving. We need to enforce the law against texting while driving. In addition, we need to do a better job educating drivers about the dangers of distracted driving, especially with hand-held cell phones.
Greater Awareness about Drowsy Driving
Driving while drowsy can impair your driving abilities as much as driving with a BAC level of .08. Yet, we have strong laws against DUI in Georgia, but nothing to prevent people from driving when they are in a drowsy state. Legislation related to fatigue can be hard, but we would love to see movement toward some legislation governing fatigued driving in 2011.
Strong Oversight of Truck Drivers’ Medical Records
We need to tighten restrictions related to the verification of the medical status of truck drivers. It’s far too easy for truck drivers to download certificate templates from agency websites. As a result, there are very likely truck drivers operating tractor-trailers, with a heightened risk of suffering a medical emergency at the wheel. We all agree that truckers need to be held to higher standards of health and safety than the general motorist population. However, we have been unable to strengthen the system to make it impossible for truckers with fake, unauthenticated medical certificates to slip through the cracks. We would like to see that begin to change in 2011.
Stronger Protections for Motorcyclists and Bicyclists
Motorcyclists and bicyclists are some of the most vulnerable people on our roads. Laws that punish motorists for violating rules that end with a fatal or serious motorcycle or bicycle accident, must be stronger. Too often, motorists are able to walk away from the scene of an accident which causes a motorcyclist and bicyclist grievous harm, with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. That needs to change.