(The Center Square) — Georgia’s roads continue to be dangerous for motorists, with the fatality rate higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
New data shows that while the number of fatalities on Georgia’s roadways and the rate of fatalities dropped between 2021 and 2022, it remains higher than before the pandemic.
Between 2019 and 2022, traffic fatalities on Georgia roads increased by 19.7%. Additionally, according to a new analysis from TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, the vehicle miles of travel decreased by 4%.
“Right after the pandemic, I started to notice sporting events, more fights in the stands,” Roswell Police Chief James Conroy told The Center Square last month before the latest data was available. “…I think it’s a result of us being cooped up for so long and not interacting on a daily basis with others, especially with differing opinions.”
Drivers appear to be driving more recklessly following the COVID-19 pandemic, an assertion partly backed up by NHTSA’s Office of Behavioral Safety Research, which in October 2021 said, “driving patterns and behaviors in the United States changed significantly” following the March 2020 public health emergency.
In December, AAA announced a new study that revealed a rise in risky behaviors, including drowsy driving, red-light running, speeding and driving while impaired by alcohol or cannabis.
“We can’t use that as an excuse to outlaw alcohol,” said Chase Oliver, an Atlanta resident who is vying for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination. “People drive drunk, unfortunately, but alcohol is legal for responsible adults to consume. So, we can’t look at the criminality of cannabis that way because if we do, it’s hypocritical when we have so much illegal alcohol, which causes far much more impairment and far more traffic accidents than cannabis, even in states where it is legal. Drunk driving is still a much higher incidence of DUI on the road than being high on cannabis.”
Conroy isn’t sure what additional legislation lawmakers might consider.
“Simple assault or road rage, aggressive driving, those are already illegal,” Conroy said. “We have to be kinder. … Let’s work together; let’s not be divisive. And try to get some results. We all want the same thing. But I don’t know that legislation is the answer, but maybe modeling the behavior that we want.
“People didn’t go to trial for almost three years,” Conroy said. “There was no accountability for actions. Now they’re getting the backlog and getting caught up for stuff that happened four years ago. So, there was no accountability. … I think that feeds into it as well. The jails — we didn’t want people in there due to COVID, and they’re bonding out faster, so I think it’s compounding.”
