Top Reasons for Car Accidents in Georgia

We hear about car accidents all the time. We check for them on our way to work to see if we need to find an alternate route and we see them regularly on television. But what is the leading cause of car wrecks in Georgia? 

In 2008, the Georgia Department of Transportation found there were 342,534 traffic accidents that year. The county that accounted for the most accidents was Fulton County, which has the largest population per square mile than any other county in the state. This may not be surprising to many of us as we have all fought Atlanta traffic at some point or another. Personally, I try to avoid going to Atlanta at all cost during high traffic hours because accidents happen all the time. Also, it can be very confusing with so many roads being named Peachtree and all the one-ways. 

The sad part is that most accidents are avoidable. We get distracted and do not pay enough attention to the road or are in a hurry and speed to get to our destination faster. If drivers followed the law and used common sense, maybe more accidents could be avoided. The top three reasons for accidents are as follows:

• Speeding: Speed related crashes account for a significant amount of injuries and fatalities in Georgia.
• Drunk Driving: Although we hear that texting is the number one cause of fatalities on the radio or television, in Georgia, drunk driving is the number one killer.  
• Distracted Driving: I remember taking a Drivers Ed class before I got my license that talked about distracted driving meaning eating food while you drive. That was before we had cell phones and texting and the Internet available on our phones. While there are still plenty of people that are distracted from eating or trying to reach for their drinks, texting has become a serious problem. Now highways are covered with billboards asking people not to text and drive because it only takes a second for an accident to happen. In 2010, Georgia enacted a law making it illegal to text and drive. Even with the new law, people still text and drive every day.  

Our hope is that being aware of the ways accidents happen can help make you more alert and hopefully encourage you to avoid these practices. 

If you have any questions about a speeding ticket, DUI arrest, or another crime, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Richard Lawson and his team of Georgia DUI Defense Attorneys have over 21 years of experience. We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you with your case.