Atlanta Car Accident Statistics

As one of the biggest and busiest cities in the country, Atlanta is also known as one of the deadliest for road-goers. Owing to a high traffic density and many high-speed corridors, our fatal accident rate has emerged as a major public health concern.

Traveling along one of metro Atlanta’s busiest stretches can mean an accident is all but inevitable. The bright side is that should you be hurt, you can work with an experienced and proven Atlanta car accident attorney team.

Ali Awad, the CEO Lawyer, and his associates are prepared to jump in and provide you with client-focused service designed to maximize your chances of successful financial recovery. We help calculate every penny of damages you have suffered and will suffer, and we will then guide your case from start to finish toward the optimal conclusion for you and your family.

Learn more about your legal options after a crash and how we can help by scheduling a free, no-obligation case review with an Atlanta car accident lawyer near you when you call (404) 777-8800 or contact us online.

Working With an Atlanta Car Accident Attorney After You Have Been Hurt

While traffic accidents are extremely common, especially in Atlanta, that doesn’t mean that you and your family deserve to be treated like just another statistic. Any car accident has the capacity to severely disrupt your life and livelihood.

Common damages inflicted in the wake of a car accident include:

• Medical bills, including any emergency treatment and hospitalization, as well as the future costs of ongoing care, medication, and rehabilitation
• Lost wages caused because of missed work or a reduction in ability to work, including the loss of any benefits because of the accident
• Out-of-pocket expenses related to medical treatments and other concerns
• Pain and suffering, which inflicts a non-financial but nevertheless debilitating impact on the quality and enjoyment of life
• Funeral and burial expenses for fatal accidents

An experienced Atlanta car accident law firm can help you seek to recover these costs using all available legal means. We can even help you find a comprehensive diagnosis for any and all injuries you have suffered and get an accurate repair (or replacement cost) estimate for any damaged vehicles.

At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, we do everything we can to relieve your stress while maximizing your chances of recovering all damages that you have lost. Our experienced Atlanta personal injury attorneys know how to handle insurers, and we know what types of evidence they expect when you are submitting your claim.

In the event insurers don’t respond to our efforts with a reasonable settlement offer, we are also willing to file a lawsuit and take your case to court if that is what is required to give your case the chance of success it deserves.

Leading Causes of Car Accidents in Atlanta

Data from the Georgia Department of Transportation shows that, from 2018 to 2020, there were a total of 182,521 crashes in Atlanta. That reveals a yearly average trend of around 45,630 accidents each year.

Of the total number of accidents, 351 were fatal, leading to 387 total traffic deaths, or just under 97 a year. Further, 69,113 injuries were recorded in total across the four-year period, of which over 7,000 required medical transport.

Data reflecting causal factors for individual accidents was incomplete, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact leading reasons behind these collisions. However, when looking at the state and national level, clearer trends emerge.

The following are some of the most important risk factors associated with injury and fatal crashes in Georgia and throughout the United States.

• Alcohol and other DUI — IIHS data^[1] shows that 45% of GA drivers killed in fatal collisions tested positive for the presence of alcohol
• Speeding — National IIHS data^[2] shows that 29% of fatal crashes involved speeding
• Distracted driving — National data^[3] shows that 3,142 people were killed in distracted driving accidents, 27% of which were distracted drivers in their 20s
• Aggressive and dangerous driving — In addition to highly risky behaviors like sudden lane changes or “cutting” someone off, simple acts like following too closely for the posted speed limit can dramatically raise the chances of a serious accident.
• Drowsy driving — CDC data of 2017 crashes^[4] showed that 91,000 accidents involved drowsy driving; further, 1 in 25 adults reports having fallen asleep while driving in the last 30 days
• Improper vehicle maintenance — From underinflated tires to worn brake pads, vehicular neglect can easily cause a risky situation to become an accident and an accident to involve more serious injuries as a result of the driver’s inability to respond.

Of these factors listed above, alcohol and speeding contribute a significant amount to fatal car accidents each year in Georgia, whether occurring in combination or separately. GA Highway Safety Office records showed that 391 road fatalities in 2021 involved a BAC over 0.08, and 369 fatal accidents involved speeding.

What Is Georgia’s Fatal Accident Rate?

The total number of road traffic fatalities can be revealing, but it may also indicate that an area is simply more populous or well-traveled, making accidents proportionate to the amount of driving activity.

Figures from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that Georgia ranks on the low end for fatal crashes per 100,000 residents (16.7) but towards the high end for deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (1.49).

In terms of higher-population states, that latter statistic places Georgia close to Texas (1.58) and well behind Florida (1.72). For reference, South Carolina had the highest fatal accident rate per 100 million vehicle miles, at 2.08.

Separate data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)^[5] shows that Georgia had a rate of serious injuries caused by accidents of 7.17 per million vehicle miles traveled.

Statistics for Types of Accidents in Georgia

IIHS data shows that, in 2021, fatal accidents affected different types of vehicle occupants in the following proportions:

• Cars occupants: 37% of all fatalities
• Trucks: 29%
• Motorcycles: 11%
• Pedestrians: 17%
• Bicycles: 1%

Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections for Atlanta Fatal Car Accidents

A car accident is possible on every single road in Atlanta. At the same time, certain stretches are dangerous because of the high amount of traffic they support, the speeds at which vehicles typically travel, or other factors like the tendency for drivers to make dangerous (or foolish) maneuvers.

Multiple studies conducted have named Atlanta as one of the worst cities in the country for both the volume of traffic and risk to vehicle occupants. The U.S. News and World Report ranked Atlanta at #10 worst for both categories^[6],[7].

Forbes cites I-285, the “perimeter” around Atlanta, as one of the most dangerous roads in the country^[8] (although no data is cited to explain what this means). Further, the publication Fleet Owner, which covers news and information in relation to the carrier, rental, and fleet owner industries, cites I-75 as one of the most deadly highways in the U.S.^[9], with 0.521 deaths per mile.

It notes that the stretch of I-75 that crosses through Atlanta is one of the riskiest.

Most Dangerous Roads in Metro Atlanta

A 2022 study conducted by MoneyGeek and reported on by FOX5 Atlanta^[10] compared clusters of fatal accidents by density in order to reveal the most dangerous stretches of road in Atlanta.

It lists the following top five most dangerous roads:

• Georgia Highway 85 from I-75 to Springdale Drive
• I-285 from the Bouldercrest Road exit to the I-20 interchange
• I-285 between the Camp Creek Parkway interchange and the Riverdale Road exit
• I-20 from Panola Road to Candler Road

Each road mentioned had at least ten fatalities within a five-mile stretch and as many as 13. Further, the FOX5 report notes how “nearly 40 percent of those crashes are from drinking, speeding or both.”

Most Dangerous Intersections in Atlanta

Atlanta’s intersections and interchanges can be particularly hairy, especially during peak traffic periods or when many are deciding to drink and drive. A report from The American Reporter^[11] lists the following as the top five intersections in Atlanta with the highest car accident rates:

• Peachtree Street and West Paces Ferry Road
• Piedmont Avenue and Peachtree Street
• Georgia State Route 400 and I-285
• I-85 and I-75
• I-20 and I-285

Atlanta and Georgia Are Trending in the Wrong Direction for Fatal Car Accidents

Serious and deadly accidents are a significant risk to public health and safety. Georgia has set targets to reduce its traffic fatalities and other measures of risk for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.

In 2017, the state aimed to reduce five-year-average traffic fatalities below 1,593 and injuries under 19,643^[12].

Sadly, traffic fatalities have trended in the opposite direction. A summer 2022 report covered by WRDW-TV in Augusta^[13] found that fatalities jumped 21% from 2019–2021.

Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled increased even more by 25%. This, despite a reduction of vehicle miles traveled (3%), is likely an outcome of reduced activity during the height of the pandemic in 2020.

Drawing conclusions from the study, the authors noted that the increase in deaths was likely because of an increase in risk-taking behavior, including “speeding, failure to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”

Our Atlanta Car Accident Injury Law Firm is Ready to Help

The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm has recovered millions in damages for our clients through settlements and favorable court verdicts. We are ready to do whatever it takes to give your case the highest possible odds of resulting in a successful outcome.

When you are ready to talk about your case, we are ready to listen. Schedule your free, no-obligation case review with an experienced attorney near you when you call (404) 777-8800 or contact us online.

^[1] https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state

^[2] https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/yearly-snapshot#speeding

^[3] http://www.headsupgeorgia.com/facts

^[4] https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/drowsy-driving.html

^[5] https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/reporting/state/safety.cfm?state=Georgia

^[6] https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/safest-least-safe-cities-for-drivers-study

^[7] https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/10-cities-with-the-worst-traffic-in-the-us

^[8] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2022/11/29/these-are-the-most-dangerous-roads-in-the-us/

^[9] https://www.fleetowner.com/safety/article/21165502/25-deadliest-us-highways-2021-edition

^[10]https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/study-finds-georgias-most-dangerous-roads-are-in-metro-atlanta

^[11] https://www.theamericanreporter.com/atlanta-accidents-statistics/

^[12] https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/georgia_fy2017_ar.pdf

^[13] https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/study-finds-georgias-most-dangerous-roads-are-in-metro-atlanta