The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), a division of the United States Department of Transportation, recently released a report stating that traffic fatalities in the United States increased significantly from 2019 to 2020. This is despite the COVID-19 pandemic and presumably less drivers on the road during 2020. A large portion of the increase in fatalities was related to risky driving behavior such as speeding, driving while impaired by alcohol, and/or not wearing a seat belt. Fatalities increased in many categories of wrecks, including motorcycle, bicycle, passenger car, pedestrian, and hit-and-run incidents. The data also shows that fatal car wrecks in Georgia increased 11.5% from 2019 to 2020. Finally, the report notes that the increase in fatal wrecks occurred despite the overall number of car wrecks decreased from 2019 to 2020.
These are very concerning statistics. Our law firm encourages all Georgia residents to please wear a seat belt and comply with all traffic laws. If you have been injured due to the negligence of another motorist, contact the experts at Kam, Ebersbach & Lewis, P.C.