With the memory of the winter storm that paralyzed Atlanta fresh in their minds, Georgia's Governor and other officials presented a plan to deal with the winter weather that is expected over the next few days in Northern Georgia, including a mix of rain, snow, and ice. The January winter storm caused horrific traffic jams throughout the metro area, triggered numerous car accidents across the South, stranded hundreds of students in their classrooms, and left thousands of commuters stuck on the road as the storm passed. The governor noted that it was important to avoid an overreaction, as that could have an "economic impact," just the same as an under-reaction. Nonetheless, when you consider traveling in winter weather, especially if ice is in the forecast, think about the economic impact on your bank account of even the most minor of car accidents. Say, you decide to risk driving to work on…

Let's imagine the concept of a "moderate car accident" -- a wreck that does a fair amount of damage to the cars involved, and probably leaves one or two people with some injuries. Those injuries could be severe, but probably aren't. However, they are still injuries that will affect the person's life. Now, this context is a common result after a car accident. Most wrecks aren't the headline-grabbing, metal-twisting accidents that you hear about online or on TV. But even these more mundane accidents can cause serious problems for the victims. For example, there are many injuries that can be suffered in a car accident that are not immediately apparent. Neck pain and whiplash are common types of this kind of injury. A brain injury or concussion could be suffered as well, and even if it is a minor form of such an injury, the effects can still be debilitating. Headaches,…

A car crash on I-285 near the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport left one woman dead and snarled traffic for more than two hours, as police shut down the highway. The crash occurred at approximately 4 a.m. when it appears the woman driving the car hit the guardrail. The police report her car was disabled by the crash and had stopped in the traffic lanes. Apparently, she exited the vehicle, and shortly after that, she was struck by her own vehicle as it was hit by another vehicle. When the police arrived at the scene of the car accident, she was found deceased. This situation is among the worse for any motorist to encounter, as remaining in your vehicle would be unsafe, because of the likelihood of the vehicle being struck by oncoming traffic. At the same time, leaving a vehicle exposes a person to the risk of being struck directly by traffic,…

With the chance for up to three inches of snow, motorists in Macon and Bibb County will face "significant" travel woes for the next 24 to 48 hours. As temperatures fall, precipitation could move from freezing rain, to sleet and finally snow, leaving the area roads potentially very treacherous. Given the rarity of major snow events in Middle Georgia, most drivers have limited winter driving skills, and many teens and young adult drivers may never have driven a vehicle in these conditions. This means that in addition to driving carefully and maintaining control of your own vehicle, you need to beware of actions by other negligent or inexperienced drivers, whose driving may cause car accidents. While many people were rushing to the store in anticipation of the storm, Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Director commented that there was no need to panic, suggesting most people could get by for the day…

Older drivers are generally safer than young drivers. Many of the safety messages dealing with safe driving are directed towards teen drivers. This makes sense, as they are young and inexperienced as drivers. Activities like texting and other distracting tasks increase the danger that a young driver will get into a situation where they can't control their vehicle and wind up involved in a car accident. However, young drivers are not the only drivers who present a threat; drivers older than 75 are the second most like to be involved in a fatal car accident. What is more difficult, in dealing with these drivers, is that they may have spotless driving records and take offense at someone suggesting they hang up their car keys. There is another problem. While a town like Macon may have an old-fashioned downtown, many of the businesses have left and a large percentage of people live…

While most weddings leave the participants with fond memories, a wedding north of Atlanta, brought nothing but sorrow. On their way leaving the wedding reception, the bride and groom were involved in a terrible car accident, and the bride was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle rolled over and land on top of the bride. The groom, who was also injured in the car accident, attempted to save her, but there was nothing that could be done. A man who stopped to assist found the groom with his face and hands covered with blood. He called 911 and tried to comfort the groom. The Georgia State Patrol said the couple had just left their wedding reception when the groom, who was driving, swerved to avoid hitting a dog in the road. He then lost control of the vehicle and the car rolled down an embankment. The bride was ejected during the…

Driving can seem like an overwhelming task, when something goes wrong. Rain is falling in the Macon area and the roads are a little slick. A driver approaches an intersection, when they hear their cellphone ring, sitting on the passenger seat. Reacting, they look in that direction and reach for it. When they return their eyes to the road, they see the traffic signal has turned red and traffic has stopped in front of them. They slam on the brakes and the car begins to slide. What should they do? For an experienced driver, instinctively they steer into the slide, are able to recover, and narrowly avoid a car accident with a vehicle in the other lane. For the teen driver, who may never have driven in rain, and lacks years of driving experience, this could have been a disastrous scenario. A new report from the New England Journal of…

Most Americans think that speeding is bad, which is good, because as Lucy reminds us in Charlie Brown's Christmas, "the mere fact that you realize you need help indicates that you are not too far gone." According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 91 percent of American drivers believe drivers should slow down, but more than two-thirds speed at least sometimes when they are on the road. Speed kills and is a factor in about one-third of all car accidents. While most drivers seem to recognize the increased risk of car accidents and fatalities that accompany speeding, a great many are willing to engage in this behavior. This conflicted perspective may be a result of the tendency of many drivers to recognize the failings of other drivers, yet are blinded by overconfidence bias with respect to their own behavior. The survey which was conducted by NTHSA…

You never think your are driving to a car accident. You get in their car or truck, and head down the road in Macon, or to destinations unknown in Georgia, but you never believe it will be your last drive. Certainly, Paul Walker and Roger Rodas did not believe when they left the charity event on Saturday they were going to crash within minutes. Sure, the car they were driving, a red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT was temperamental and could be dangerous if mishandled. But, they were both experienced racecar drivers. The driver could easily handle the Porsche on a city street well enough to avoid a car accident. Nonetheless, the Carrera GT struck a utility pole and exploded into flames, killing both men. Police ruled out that they were street racing with another car, but they suspect speed played a role in the accident. The Carrera GT is a car…

Last week, just north of Atlanta, in the town of Milton, a woman had a very narrow escape. As she drove along the road, she suddenly heard a "huge boom" and when she finally recognized what had happened, she could only say, "Oh my God, oh my God." Her left hand had been crushed by the impact of a 9-lb rock the size of a volleyball had crashed through the windscreen on her vehicle. She was incredibly lucky, as police calculated the rock was moving at close to 100 mph when hit struck her vehicle. Of course, if the rock had hit any part of her body besides her hand, the outcome would have been far worse. Instead of a damaged vehicle and an injured hand, her name would like to have been added to the list of fatalities from car accidents in Georgia this year. The rock it the windscreen…