National Traffic Fatalities Reach All-Time Low | Marietta Accident Lawyer

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently annonced that in 2008 traffic fatalities hit an all-time low since 1961.  The first quarter 2009 is also reporting lower traffic fatalities than in years past.

The 2008 death count totaled just over 37,000 nationally which was a drop of nearly 10% from the year before.  Counts are taken based on VMT or vehicle miles traveled.

The news was not so good for motorcyle deaths which increased for the 11th straight year.

Marietta Accident Lawyer Warns Georgia Drivers to Beware Over the 4th Holiday

Along with Labor Day, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving, July 4th ranks among the most dangerous holidays for travel.  Accordingly, please be safe on the roads.

Georgia officials, including State Troopers are ramping up for the busy July 4th weekend says Colonel Bill Hitchens of the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

In 2008 there were 1,860 traffic accidents with 22 fatalities.  This year officials are estimating the same number of fatalities with a few more accidents.

The chief culprits of traffic accidents are drinking and driving, speeding and failure to wear seatbelts.  These three are among the 10 most common causes of accidents nationwide.

Atlanta Drivers Are Among Nation's Worst For Road Rage | Marietta Car Wreck Lawyer

Have you been the victim of misplaced road rage? Don't take it personall.  Apparently you live in a city which is among the nation's worst for angry drivers. 

A recent survey ranked Atlanta among the five worst cities in America for road-rage drivers.

This means that Atlantians are more likely to yell at you, flip you off, tail-gate you, weave in and out of traffic, and act generally rude than in other major metropolitan cities.

One widely cited factor contributing to the high incidents of road rage in Atlanta is the extreme congestion on our roadways.  It is no secret that Atlanta is among the worst cities in the country for traffic congestion.  And according to experts, heavy and congested traffic are key factors which contribute to road rage.

Cobb County police receive periodic complaints from drivers who are victims of road rage, but arrests are few.  It is a matter of police officers happening to be in the right place at the right time according to Sgt. Dana Pierce.

The best way to defuse road rage is to ignore it and to be a courteous driver.

Other major cities ranked in the top five were New York, Miami, St. Paul and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Where were the friendliest drivers?  Portland, Oregon

Athens Car Accident Lawyer Warns Georgians to Drive Carefully This Memorial Weekend

Athens accident attorney, Michael Terrell, warns Georgians to drive carefully this Memorial Day weekend.  Many of you probably spent last night or this afternoon packing your car in anticipation of the season's first trip to the beach or some other getaway destination.  The kids were then loaded into the car with the latest DVD of Bolt, or Cars to entertain them.  And now the countdown is on to see how far you can get before you have to stop for your first bathroom break. 

Memorial Weekend is a great weekend, but please be careful.  Historically, Memorial Day Weekend is among the worst traveling weekends for car wrecks and auto accidents, ranking third behind only Thanksgiving and July 4th.  Here in Georgia, State Troopers and public safety personnel are making their preparations for what will certainly be a busy weekend.  In particular, our finest will be looking for seatbelt violations and impaired drivers.

The Georgia State Patrol estimates that as many as 2,275 traffic crashes resulting in 875 injuries and 18 deaths could occur in the 78-hour period beginning Friday at 6 PM and ending at Midnight on Memorial Day.

In 2008 the Memorial Day travel period produced 2,480 traffic accidents which resulted in 721 injuries and 14 fatalities.  Of the car wrecks producing wrongful deaths, alcohol and failure to wear seatbelts were significant contributing factors.  Five deaths were attributed to alcohol intoxication more commonly referred to as DUI.  One death was related to illicit drugs (also considered a DUI) and four deaths involved victims not wearing seatbelts.

I have written about 10 of the most common mistakes drivers make that contributed to traffic accidents.  Among the most common are failure to maintain lane (or swerving), speeding or reckless driving, and driving while intoxicated.  The article can be found here: Most Lethal Driving Mistakes That Cause Auto Accident Injuries