Many Georgia residents will be happy to hear that car wrecks causing fatalities have decreased over the last two years and continued to stay low during 2019. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, there was a 2.4% decrease in car accident fatalities in 2018 and a 3.4% decrease for the first half of 2019. This organization attributes this decrease in deaths on U.S. roads to technology installed in newer vehicles that helps to prevent crashes.
The statistics show that there are specific areas where decreases were experienced. In 2018, fatalities that were attributed to driving above the speed limit fell by 7.5%. Deaths related to motorcycles went down by 4.7%, and fatalities that were related to driving under the influence of alcohol dropped by 3.6%.
While this downward trend in car wrecks causing fatalities is a good thing, there are still many unnecessary accidents that take place. In 2018, more than 36,000 people died on roads in the United States.
One area of concern has to do with pedestrian and bicyclist deaths. Some reports show that pedestrian deaths are increasing, going up by 53% since the year 2009. Many bicyclist and pedestrian deaths happen after dark, and some cases show that the affected pedestrians and cyclists had alcohol in their systems. The Federal Highway Administration is looking to use new technology to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
A person who has experienced a personal injury while driving, cycling or walking down a U.S. road may want to discuss their case with an attorney. An attorney may be able to look at evidence from eyewitnesses, police reports and CCTV footage in order to help a person receive compensation for their injuries. The attorney may be able to represent a client in court if necessary.