A combination of data from the Federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System covering 2012 through 2015 and US Census results has revealed that six of Georgia’s ten most deadly roads are located in Atlanta. That evaluation, completed by the data analysis group 1point21 Interactive, sought to determine the number of fatalities per mile on several different roads using certain criteria. Eventually, the group ended up taking into consideration 277 miles of road in Georgia.

Using that information, they determined that the most dangerous stretch of road is 0.98 miles of I-20 in Atlanta where five people died in the reporting period. Other roads had more fatal accidents and fatalities but using distance as the primary parameter resulted in a clearer understanding of dangerous areas.

“For Atlanta drivers, a study like this can be incredibly helpful in identifying dangerous roads and encouraging more alertness in those areas,” said Alan Hamilton, an Atlanta Car Accident Attorney with the law firm of Shiver Hamilton.

Unfortunately, even the most alert driver can still be swept up into an accident not of their own causing. Drivers must take steps to minimize the risks to themselves. Always wear your seatbelt and leave at least three car lengths between you and the car in front of you; more in inclement weather situations. Georgia is a modified comparative negligence state, which means that in the event of litigation related to an accident in which you were involved, a jury can consider your actions in determining whether you were partially at fault for any injuries you may have suffered. If they find that your acts (or failure to act) played a role in your injuries, any award you may receive can be reduced by up to fifty percent.

Additionally, if a jury or court were to determine that you were fifty-one percent responsible for your own injuries – even in an accident caused by another individual – you would be completely barred from recovery in Georgia.

Studies like this highlight the inherent danger in operating a motor vehicle, but also highlight that there are numerous factors that come into play in creating that danger – many of which are beyond the control of the driver. What a driver can do is exert control over those controllable elements – such as speed, safety, time, and location – and work to make driving as safe as possible.