For as long as there have been cars on Georgia roads, there have been car accidents. The problem, of course, is that car accidents occur for a wide variety of reasons. In many cases, drunk drivers are at fault. In others, a driver who is distracted by a cell phone or some other electronic device may be at fault. However, there is one particular area that most Georgians probably do not think about: the skill of drivers on the roads.
Driver skill, according to a recent report, should be a concern that Georgia resident will likely need to start thinking about. Through about the first eight months of 2015, there have been 791 traffic fatalities in Georgia. If that seems like a high number to our readers, they are right. According to the recent report, that figure is 12 percent higher than the rate through the first eight months of 2014.
In fact, the report notes that the national average for traffic fatalities is a great deal higher this year than it was last year. This is despite the fact that the majority of states have enacted laws, either regulating or prohibiting the use of electronic devices by drivers. In addition, the ever-present public awareness campaigns to educate the public about the increase in safety that wearing a seatbelt brings.
Sure, mechanical issues can sometimes cause car accidents. But, the information in this recent report seems to point out that it may be time for drivers in Georgia and throughout America to begin to hold themselves to a higher standard when they get behind the wheel. Drivers need to make sure that they have the requisite skills to operate that motor vehicle that could turn into a deadly obstacle hurtling down the road in unskilled hands.
Source: Athens Banner-Herald, “Human behavior causes increased traffic fatalities in Georgia,” Walter C. Jones, Aug. 22, 2015