Marietta Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

Residents in Georgia have no doubt heard much discussion about self-driving cars in the past few years. The development of these vehicles has been a source of debate as some laud autonomous cars with the ability to reduce or even eliminate traffic accidents and fatalities while others allege that these vehicles are not fully safe. While fully autonomous vehicles are not yet the norm on the roads today, it is increasingly common for new cars to come equipped with a variety of self-driving or driver assist technologies.

These autonomous driving features in human-driven cars are supposed to enhance safety but they may actually have the opposite effect in some cases. As explained by ABC News, many of the features that are designed to provide warnings to drivers may actually make the drivers lazy in a way, allowing them to focus less on driving or the traffic and roads around them.

Many in Marietta may fall into the trap of thinking that the actions that can lead to potentially dangerous driving are very well-defined. By avoiding speeding, as well as not driving after having consumed alcohol or while using a cell phone, they may believe that they will always be safe behind the wheel. There are many other elements, however, that go into driving dangerously, many of which are seemingly mundane actions (or inactions) that go into daily living. One of the more common driving while drowsy. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that as many as 72,000 crashes in the U.S. are attributed to drowsy driving annually. When one is drowsy behind the wheel, their physical capabilities can often be limited to the same extent as one who is intoxicated. Their depressed awareness (caused by their drowsiness) can make it difficult to maintain control of their vehicles, and also limit their response time if they need to act in order to avoid a collision. 

It may be rare to see a case where passengers traveling in a vehicle on Marietta's roads are not familiar with its driver. People may tend to be forgiving of their acquaintances' mistakes, preferring instead to be supportive and willing to help them work through things. However, there may be times when the consequences of a friend's decision are so great that those affected by them have little choice but to seek action. Even in cases where it is shown that a friend may have been negligent, the decision to hold them accountable may not be any easier. 

The family of a Cherokee County teen may soon be facing just such a decision. The young man was killed when the car carrying himself and three friends lost control, left the road and struck a tree. The driver of the vehicle and another passenger were also seriously injured in the accident; the third passenger escaped with only minor injuries. Authorities have yet to conclude their investigation into the crash, yet they feel confident enough in some aspects to say that excessive speed certainly played a factor. 

According to records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of people killed in all motor vehicle accidents in Georgia last year was down slightly from the previous year. There were 1,540 vehicular fatalities statewide in 2017 compared to 1,556 in 2016. This decrease was also seen in the number of people who died in accidents involving both speed and alcohol. The number of deaths in crashes involving large commercial trucks, however, rose.

Across Georgia, 179 lives were lost in large truck collisions in 2016. Last year, that number jumped to 214. In Cobb County, 2017 marked the second year in a row in which the number of large truck fatalities increased. In 2015, two such deaths were recorded followed by four in 2016 and then eight in 2017. The eight deaths last year represented almost 16 percent of the county's total accident fatalities. Overall, in the five years from 2013 to 2017, Cobb County lost 28 lives in large truck accidents.