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As of 2016, 28 states have seatbelt laws that cover all passengers and the driver of a vehicle. Georgia is not currently one of these states, despite statistics confirming that seatbelts can be lifesaving. A report by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association revealed that back seat passengers are three times more likely to be killed if they are not wearing seatbelts. Additionally, only 78% of rear seat passengers wear seatbelts, compared to 87% of front seat passengers. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Georgia ranks sixth in the nation in the number of unrestrained passenger fatalities.
The Jackson Progress-Argus reports on a fatal accident that claimed one life when several passengers were ejected from a vehicle on I-75.
The accident occurred at about 8:14 a.m. on Interstate 75 northbound in Locust Grove near Bill Gardner Parkway.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, nine passengers were ejected from a Mercury Mountaineer after the SUV flipped several times.
The passengers inside the Mercury included several children and one adult. One of those children, an 11-year-old girl, was killed in the crash.
Traffic was blocked on I-75 North for several hours while authorities worked to clear the crash. The crash was eventually cleared at about 11:11 a.m.
The circumstances surrounding the crash were not reported, and there was no indication of whether or not charges would be filed against the driver.
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