Deadly Highways and Waterways in Georgia

Two recent news articles caught my attention this week.  According to the AJC, I-285 is not only the most dangerous Interstate in Georgia, but it is the most hazardous in the United States. The danger was measured by the number of deaths per mile.  This is one record for which we in Georgia should not be proud.

Anyone who drives I-285 immediately understands the problem.  The density of drivers per mile exceeds any reasonable safety limit.  Additionally, drivers are usually on the way to work or home and often drive in a distracted manner.

In the 25 years I have lived in Atlanta, our metro-area population has more than doubled, yet our infrastructure has languished.  We have limited options to deal with road congestion; however, we could limit access to truck drivers to times of less congestion.   We could also ask business leaders to agree to roll the start times of employees to also limit road congestion.  Finally, we could limit road construction to the evening. 

Otherwise, we simply need to construct more lanes, more roads, and the northern arc that was once proposed.

The other article was about how Lake Lanier is the most deadly Georgia lake, both in actual numbers and per capita. 

According to the AJC, 143 people have drown on the lake since 1994.  This statistic includes boating accidents and ordinary drowning. Boating Under the Influence is a contributing factor to many of these deaths and other injuries. 

Tragically, although Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona have had similar visitor numbers over the past decade, twice as many people have died on Lake Lanier.  

As a Georgia BUI Lawyer, I understand the effect of alcohol on boating safety.  However, I am at a loss as to why there are so many more injuries and deaths on Lake Lanier vs other Georgia lakes.  

As the summer driving season and boating season comes to an end this Labor Day, please be careful.  Being careful does not mean limiting the consumption of alcohol before driving or operating a boat.  It means having at least one driver or boater who has simply not had anything to drink.  Save the lives of your passengers and others.