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2017 showed only a slight decrease in the number of fatal crashes on Georgia roadways. In 2016, there were 1561 fatal crashes. 2017 only improved that number by 14 fewer fatalities, ringing in at 1547. So far in 2018, there have been 140 fatal accidents. The majority of these accidents, authorities believe, are caused by distracted driving and the majority of the fatalities are linked to the failure to wear a seatbelt. 13 WMAZ reports on the rise in fatalities on Georgia’s roadways.
In the past two years, the number of lives lost to traffic accidents on Georgia roadways is up 33%.
It averages to about 4 fatal car accidents per day.
Department of Transportation employee Kyle Collins says Georgia is ahead of the national average for roadway fatalities. As many as 60% of these fatalities are single-vehicle accidents where the driver failed to maintain their lane. More than half of the fatalities involve people who didn’t buckle up.
Collins believes that distracted driving is to blame in many of those 1500 fatalities.
18-year-old Katie Foskey is concerned about her own driving, but she’s more concerned with everyone else. She acknowledges that distracted driving is a huge problem.
“Most people just — texting and driving — and that’s the most one, some people are eating, and some people are driving way too slow,” says Foskey.
To help curb this alarming increase in distracted driving accidents, State Representative John Carson introduced a hands-free driving bill. While drivers would be able to swipe once to answer a call, their phone would have to remain hands-free. The fines for being caught using a smartphone while driving would increase from $150 to between $300 to $450 for the first offense.
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