Thousands of licensed drivers head out on the Georgia roads every day, and the vast majority of them reach their intended destinations without issue. Although motor vehicle collisions are one of the top causes of severe personal injuries like amputations and spinal cord injuries and also a leading cause of death among most different age groups, the average individual assumes that they will go their whole life without ever experiencing a major collision.
Some people are that fortunate, but many others will eventually end up hurt because of something that happens in traffic. Despite better vehicle safety systems, your crash risk may be higher now than just a few years ago.
How big of a risk are motor vehicle collisions for Georgia drivers?
Your crash risk has increased recently
Three years ago, the possibility of you experiencing a deadly wreck in Georgia was substantially lower than it is now. Car crash statistics paint a grim picture of safety on Georgia’s roads. According to a report analyzing recent crash data provided by TRIP of Washington DC, Georgia has seen a massive increase in crashes in 2020 and 2021.
Although data for 2022 has not yet become available, it is likely given early reports throughout the year that the surge in crashes continues unabated. Your risk of dying in a car crash has increased by 21% since 2019. After many years of declining crash and fatality rates, this spike has started to draw national attention as a major safety risk.
The increased crash rate in Georgia is slightly higher when compared to the overall increase in traffic fatalities across the country, which was 19%.
How can you protect yourself?
There are several ways in which you can reduce your risk of contributing to the unfortunate current statistics related to motor vehicle collisions. One of the most effective will be to embrace defensive driving techniques as a means of reducing your personal crash risk.
When you treat everyone else on the road like a potential threat, it will be much easier for you to spot problematic driving behaviors or avoid a crash primarily caused by someone else’s choices. Another important way to protect yourself from crash risk involves reviewing your insurance.
Carrying extra coverage will benefit you or your surviving family members after a crash. Adding more liability coverage can help, as can adding uninsured motorist protection. Recognizing that your chance of getting into a major car crash is higher now than it was a couple of years ago could help you make safer driving decisions.