Road fatalities continue to rise in Georgia

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Fewer drivers have been on the roads over the past year, but the number of deadly crashes in the state of Georgia was still higher than in previous years.

Already this year, deaths on Georgia roads are increasing again.

The Georgia Department of Transportation says distracted driving and speed caused most of the fatal crashes in the past year and a half.

Looking at the numbers throughout the state, there were about 1,500 fatal crashes in 2019, and in 2020, there was a 13 percent increase with around 1,700 fatalities.

This year, there have already been 733 fatal crashes. Compared to June of last year, there had been 600, which means at this rate we could surpass last year’s numbers.

With a busy summer of people getting back on the roads, the DOT is reminding drivers to take it slow, especially in construction zones.

“We just need everybody to slow down, When you go through these construction zones, we want to protect our workers but also, you have to expect the unexpected. If people aren’t paying attention and hit a barrel, it is a chain reaction, so we just ask everyone to slow down,” said Jill Nagel, Communications Officer for Georgia DOT.

With many large construction projects going on in our area, drivers need to be sure to follow the posted speed limits for those work zones.