Thousands of people are killed and injured in car accidents nationwide every year, but how does this affect people in Georgia? In 2017, 1,549 people were killed as a result of car accidents in Georgia. How does this compare to other years? What are the causes of these accidents? Government statistics show that there are trends in the reasons and ways that people are killed in car accidents.

How Does This Compare to Other Years in Georgia?

Since 2014, the number of fatal car accidents has been on the rise in Georgia. Only 1,170 people were killed in 2014, but that number has steadily risen since then. By 2015, that number had climbed to more than 1,400. It continued to climb until reaching its 1,549 by 2017. That is a slight decrease from 1,561 fatalities in 2016, but it did not hit the Georgia Department of Transportation’s goal of reducing traffic fatalities by 41 every year. 2018 is not on track to reach that goal either.

Overall, there were 385,221 crashes in Georgia in 2015. Of these thousands of accidents, there were 19,405 people who were seriously injured. The serious injury rate has also consistently been on the rise since 2010.

What Are Some of the Factors in These Accidents?

There are a lot of statistics to sort through when it comes to traffic accidents. Yet, there are some scenarios and situations in which a car accident is more likely to occur. The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety shows some of these trends in their reports on traffic accident data.

• Drivers on urban roads are more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident than drivers on rural roads. 603 of the 2016 fatalities occurred on rural roads, while 951 occurred on urban roads.
• Drivers operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol were the cause of a large fraction of the traffic fatalities that happened in 2016. About 24 percent of fatal accidents involved drunk driving.
• Speeding is also a big factor in whether or not a fatal traffic accident will happen. 266 of the fatal car accidents in 2016 were related to speeding.
• Traffic accidents involving pedestrian fatalities make up a significant portion of those who are killed in traffic accidents. 232 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2016. This is much higher than the 154 pedestrians who were killed in traffic accidents in 2007.

What to Do If You Have Been a Victim of a Traffic Accident in Georgia

If you have been injured as a result of a traffic accident in Georgia, as many people are, you may be entitled to compensation from the negligent party. Contact The Nye Law Group to discuss the details of your accident. We recognize that traffic accidents are increasingly common in Georgia, and our attorneys have the experience you will need on your side to get the compensation you deserve for your accident. Call us today to schedule a free case evaluation.