The article details a study conducted by a tech firm that sought to identify which states had the most dangerous drivers. Several criteria were considered, including DUI rates, the number of people killed in auto accidents, and the percentage of drivers carrying car insurance.
Our state’s score was the tenth-worst in the country. This is, in no small part, due to the fact that nearly 30 people die on Georgia roads each week. That number typically escalates on holiday weekends. And so one wonders what protective measures the authorities may take as Labor Day approaches.
Georgia DOT Restricting Lane Closures
A spokesman for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) acknowledges that “we typically see an increase in roadway fatalities” during heavy travel holidays and that, for Labor Day, “we expect heavy travel statewide.”
In an effort to relieve congestion, and thereby reduce the number of accidents, GDOT will be halting several construction projects over the weekend and keeping a higher number of highway lanes open for drivers. The initiative will go from noon on September 1 until the early morning of September 5.
Still, accidents are expected. And GDOT and others offer advice to passengers involved in highway accidents. Namely:
- Pull over to the side of the road immediately and put on your hazard lights
- Do not get out of your car (unless staying in it poses immediate risks)
- When police arrive, obtain a statement from them (this can help with insurance filings)
- Seek appropriate medical help as quickly as possible
- Seek appropriate legal help as quickly as possible, to ensure you obtain adequate financial relief if the accident was not your fault.
Labor Day weekend is a time of leisure. But getting to and returning from one’s destination can be stressful and, in some cases, hazardous. As in all situations, it’s best to be prepared and understand, should calamity arise, how to respond.