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Distracted driving is a major cause of accidents, and not wearing seatbelts is a major cause of increasing the severity of an accident. Despite state laws requiring the use of seatbelts and making distracted driving illegal, this year has not seen much, if any, improvement in accident rates on Georgia roadways.
As of July 22, 759 people had been killed in accidents on Georgia roadways. This number is down just 6 from the same period last year. Last year was especially deadly, with the state recording the most traffic fatalities since 2008.
Officials say that two things are to blame for the number of fatalities: distracted driving and failure to wear seat belts.
Russell McMurry, the Transportation Commissioner, said in an interview: “The statistics tell you that people are distracted, and that’s hard to overcome.” He then added that three-quarters of accidents are related to driver behavior.
It is Atlanta and areas south of the city that claim the lion’s share of these accidents, a whopping 40%. But some areas have improved. Northeast Georgia and areas southeast of Atlanta have shown a decrease in fatal accidents of 20% and 11% respectively.
This year, it has been determined that 40% of the accidents occurred when drivers left the roadway. More than half were due to drivers failing to maintain their lane.
McMurry also revealed that about 60% of victims were found to have not been wearing seat belts.
Drunk driving has also played a part, though a diminishing one, in the number of fatalities. In 2014, 280 drivers killed in accidents were intoxicated. That number is down from 454 a decade ago.
If you have been injured in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the “Strong Arm” attorneys at the law offices of John Foy & Associates. Our experienced attorneys will work to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.
