In 2022, an average of 5 people died in car accidents in Georgia every single day. The state is now making strong efforts to help reduce those numbers and keep people safe on the roads. There is not one solution to the issue, which requires a multifaceted approach.
The Georgia Department of Public Health recently received funding of approximately $2.5 million specifically to be used in road safety initiatives. The grant by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be used to fund initiatives like the distribution of child car safety seats to motorists in Georgia. The funds will also be used to study and research factors involved in car accidents, specifically speeding and other common factors. More than $200,000 has also been earmarked for education and awareness campaigns across Georgia, as well as risk assessments of senior drivers above the age of 55. The child car seat distribution initiative has already kicked off, and hundreds of parents across Georgia have received their safety seats.
The metro Atlanta region is a specific area of concern for Georgia transportation safety authorities. Out of the last nine car accident deaths recorded in the state, 5 occurred in the metro Atlanta region alone. These wrongful deaths have included fatalities in car accidents caused by drunk drivers and fatal auto accidents involving pedestrians. Law enforcement officers in Georgia say that the biggest causes of car accident fatalities in the state remains drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving and rash driving. Road rage is on the increase, and that has meant a spike in aggressive driving.
The role of electronic distractions in causing car accidents has become increasingly stronger, with as many as 45% of fatal car accidents in 2022 involving a distracted driver. Speeding caused as many as 16% of car accident wrongful deaths, while 18% of deaths involved a drunk driver. Wearing a seatbelt is the simplest thing you could do to help reduce your risks of being killed in a car accident, and yet far too many motorists find nothing wrong in driving without wearing a seatbelt. Failure to wear a seatbelt was a factor in more than half of all car accident deaths recorded that year.
Poor and irresponsible driving behaviors account for much of the increase in car accident deaths on our roads, and we need stronger initiatives and strategies to tackle such behaviors. With a total of 1,982 car accident deaths on Georgia roads in 2022, the last year for which final numbers are available, it is clear that we cannot remain complacent any longer.
The Atlanta car accident attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. You may qualify for damages that include medical expenses, lost income and other types of compensation. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.