State police are still in the process of investigating a fatal crash that claimed the life of a college student during the week of July 29. Georgia authorities say the single-car accident that killed the young woman may have been the result of drunk driving. The driver of the vehicle involved in the crash has been subsequently charged. The details of the accident are not widely known at this time, but it has been confirmed that at least two people were in the car at the time of the accident. It appears the driver of the vehicle, who was a friend of the victim, may have been speeding when she lost control of the vehicle and crashed. While the force of the impact killed the victim, the current status of the driver is unknown. Police have reason to believe the driver had been drinking at the time of the accident. She…

There is no disputing just how much of a scourge distracted driving has become on U.S. roads and highways. Indeed, numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that distraction was behind 3,179 crash-related fatalities in 2014 alone and that this dangerous practice actually triples the risk of an accident. While states have taken action to address this issue, with 44 banning texting while driving and a smaller number banning hands-free devices, it's clear that more needs to be done. Interestingly enough, Washington, the first state to implement a texting ban ten years ago, recently saw a new distracted driving law take effect, one that the Governors Highway Safety Association indicated "has the potential to be a game-changer and serve as a model for other states." What does Washington's new distracted driving law do exactly? The new law prohibits non-electronic distractions, such as grooming, eating, having a pet on…

When a teen secures their driver's license, parents may feel some relief as they are suddenly off the hook for trips to and from school, work, extracurriculars, and other social engagements. However, this relief may prove short-lived, as they suddenly find themselves having to worry about their child's safety out on the roads and highways. Unfortunately, parents are right to be concerned. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that young people between the ages of 16 to 19 present the highest crash risk of any age group. More significantly, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among this demographic. Interestingly enough, the financial website WalletHub recently released a study ranking the best -- and worst -- states for teen drivers. Here, researchers examined 21 key metrics relating to safety, economic environment, and driving laws using both federal and state data. This, in turn, enabled them…

When it comes to distracted driving, the numbers tell the story. Indeed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that 391,000 people were injured by distracted driving while another 3,477 lost their lives to this dangerous conduct in 2015 alone. As if this wasn't discouraging enough, consider also that the NHTSA has found that as many as 660,000 motorists are on their phones at any given time during daylight hours, meaning the risk of being involved in a distracted driving crash is disturbingly high. Unfortunately, this is far from a new phenomenon, as distracted driving accidents caused by cell phones -- particularly texting -- have been taking an astounding toll on our roads and highways for years. In fact, 46 states have now banned all drivers from texting while driving, including Georgia, in an attempt to address this epidemic. Some states are actually poised to take things even further,…

Statistics from the Federal Communications Commission reveal that as many as eight people lose their lives and over 1,000 more suffer injuries in distracted driving-related crashes here in the U.S. every day. As if this wasn't dismaying enough, the FCC has also determined that as many as 660,000 people are using their smartphones or other electronic devices while driving at any given daylight moment across the nation. Faced with sobering figures like these, it's easy to doubt whether anything can be done by lawmakers to address this epidemic. Indeed, texting while driving is already prohibited in 46 states (including Georgia), while 14 others also ban the use of handheld devices behind the wheel. Similarly, questions arise as to what, if anything, phone manufacturers can do. Interestingly enough, Apple, maker of the ubiquitous iPhone, recently unveiled what it's calling a new solution to distracted driving at its Worldwide Developers Conference. As part of the forthcoming…

At this exact moment, many people throughout Georgia are packing their bags, loading their trunks, and filling up their tanks in preparation for a Memorial Day road trip. Statistics show, however, that they won't be alone in looking to getaway. According to AAA, as many as 39.3 million Americans will be traveling at least 50 miles from Thursday, May 25 to Monday, May 29, the highest number of travelers in 12 years. Furthermore, AAA is projecting that 88 percent of people will be making their way to their respective destinations by car. Closer to home, AAA is projecting that 1.17 million residents of Georgia will be traveling over Memorial Day with as many as 1.05 million going by car. While rising wages, lower fuel prices, and increased consumer confidence are likely the reasons why so many people are hitting the road, travelers might want to consider a recent study by the personal financial…

Whether we realize it or not, most of us follow a routine every time we get behind the wheel of our vehicles and move the shifter from park to drive. For example, many of us will check the mirrors, adjust the seat, set the climate, sync electronic devices and, of course, buckle seat belts. Indeed, it would appear that the majority of us are now making seat belt use part of our routines, as a survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that close to 90 percent of drivers were buckling up in 2016. This is a welcome development when you consider that federal statistics also reveal that seat belts saved the lives of nearly 14,000 people in 2015 alone. Questions have been raised, however, as to whether primary seat belt laws -- otherwise known as "click it or ticket" laws -- are the reason for this encouraging…

While most of us would like to think we are capable of being objective when it comes to assessing our driving abilities, it might prove to be a more difficult exercise than we imagine. That's because not only are we inherently defensive when it comes to this issue -- when is the last time anyone admitted to being a bad driver? -- but perceptions of what is acceptable behavior behind the wheel varies from person to person. The good news is that there are certain avenues through which we can find out once and for all whether we can be confident in our driving judgment and abilities, or whether we need to think about making some changes. The first, and perhaps simplest, way to do this is to openly assess whether you engage in any of the following behaviors, long identified as being among the riskiest: Speeding: Surveys show that…

Over the last decade, we've seen efforts to develop vehicle safety technology undergo something of a seismic shift. Indeed, while the focus of automakers was long centered solely around developing technology designed to limit bodily harm to drivers and passengers in the event of an accident, these efforts have broadened in recent years to develop technology designed to prevent accidents altogether. By way of illustration, a person needn't look any further than the development of automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure systems and, more recently, fully self-driving vehicles. Interestingly enough, as we move closer and closer to having fully self-driving vehicles on the roads and highways -- something that would almost certainly reduce the number of accidents attributable to everything from impaired driving and distracted driving to speeding and reckless behavior -- it seems that many Americans are still apprehensive about this prospect. Last year, AAA completed the…

With all of the hundreds of thousands of drivers in Georgia, there are bound to be ones who weave in and out of traffic, ignore the speed limit, and purposefully cut other drivers off. All of these behaviors have one thing in common; they are considered aggressive driving and have many repercussions including fines and revocation of licensure depending on the driver’s age and state of residence. In serious circumstances, aggressive driving can result in accidents that injure or even kill the people involved. When a person understands aggressive driving and its consequences, careful actions can be taken to avoid driving dangerously. The Governors Highway Safety Association explicitly defines aggressive driving in Georgia as such actions including:          Disregarding traffic laws          Disrupting traffic flow          Tailgating          Reckless driving          Carelessly passing another vehicle While some drivers may succumb to their anger and participate in aggressive driving and road rage, there…