Georgia lawmakers and law enforcement are aware of the prevalence of distracted driving crashes in the state. As they seek to reduce the number of car accidents caused by distracted driving, new laws have been enacted in the last six months. The short-term impact has been positive as the hands-free law has shown a decrease in the number of road fatalities. However, it is important for drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians to know that a simple reduction on a short-term basis does not eliminate all risk.
The director of the Governor’s Office for Highway Safety says that there was a six percent reduction in fatal accidents in 2018. The director stated that 2018 was the first year in four years that saw less than 1,500 deaths on the road.
When people are not paying attention to the road, there are certain types of accidents that will occur. People tend to drive off the road when they are not looking where they are going. That type of accident decreased by 18 percent in the last year, while lane departures decreased by eight percent. It is not fully known if the new law has been the sole cause of the improvement, but research is continuing.
Despite the good signs, people are trying to find ways to get around the law. This will inevitably result in car accidents with injuries and fatalities even if the overall numbers are getting better. After car accidents, determining if the accident was caused by distracted driving is key when deciding whether to file a lawsuit. This is true whether it was a fatal accident or not. Having legal assistance from a law firm that understands car accidents is vital to examining the circumstances of the case and moving forward with a legal filing.