Over seventy drivers are hurt in the state of Georgia every hour due to car accidents. In fact, over 1,770 people were killed in fatal accidents. For Georgia’s size of the state, this is quite high bringing Georgia to No. 4 in the largest number of fatal accidents in the country. We all know that accidents happen, but what are some of the leading causes? 70% of crash fatalities are caused by unsafe driving behaviors. Today, Marietta Wrecker Service will share with you two big causes of car accidents in the state of Georgia, prevention tips and steps to take afterward involving a towing company.
What Does Unsafe Driving Look Like?
Driving under the influence:
- Driving under the influence or for short, DUI, is illegal in all 50 states. Some states actually have a criminal statute for DWI, or driving while intoxicated. However, in the state of Georgia all charges for impaired driving due to alcohol or drugs fall under the state’s DUI laws. There are two ways a driver can be in violation of the driving under the influence (DUI) laws.
1) DUI – You are driving and an officer determines you are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs;
2) DUI “Per Se” – You are driving and your chemical test (blood, or breath) result is 0.08% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) or higher.
- If you are found to be in violation of these laws, you will have to deal with both a criminal case and a separate license suspension. Penalties depend on the charge and circumstances revolving around your specific case; however, no driver should ever be surprised to face charges when they made the decision to drive impaired. In total for the year 2020 according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services DUI charges totaled 12,008. This number is actually down tremendously from the substantial amount of 41,739 in 2007.
- When a driver is impaired, there is an increasingly higher chance of causing not only one but multiple car accidents. With the rise of rideshares (Uber, Lyft, etc.) in the past 10 years, there has been a significant decrease in the amount of DUIs and car accidents due to impaired driving.
Driving while distracted
- According to Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Georgia’s Hands-Free law is as follows: no phone in hand or touching any part of your body while driving, no watching videos, no recording videos, no touching your phone to skip a song or change your GPS route and others rules. 56% of all motor vehicle traffic crashes had at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver in 2019.
- Based on numerical data, teen drivers are the riskiest group of drivers on the road, mostly based to lack of experience and a higher chance of texting and driving.
- Another leading cause of car accidents in Georgia are driving too fast. Fatalities have a higher chance of occurring when passengers drive recklessly (speed) and are not wearing a seatbelt.
Car accidents are not only scary in the moment, but directly after as well. You may be seriously injured, confused and unsure of what to do next. Everything seems to happen so quickly, and your life is instantly changed when a wreck occurs. So, what do you do if you were to get into a car accident?
- Check to see if anyone was hurt. This is one of the most crucial parts. It can help relieve your stress to instantly know whether everyone is okay or not. Before dealing with any other concerns, prioritize the health and safety of yourself and other passengers.
- Call 911. Especially in the case of an injury, this is important to instantly occur in order for any injured person to receive medical assistance as soon as possible.
- If your accident happened with another car or cars, check on them and obtain their names, addresses and telephone numbers. For insurance purposes and police reports, you will want their license plate(s), vehicle identification numbers and driver’s license numbers from each driver. This will allow you to have a copy of important information without having to rely on anyone else to have it too.
- Take pictures of any damage done to all vehicles. Be sure to snap photos of the interior and exterior. These could potentially be used for evidence in your insurance claim or lawsuit depending on your circumstance.
- This may be the time the police call a towing company to send out a tow truck to your location.
Towing:
- The police will likely order a tow truck for your car to be towed. This is if it cannot be driven from the accident scene. You may have the chance to call your insurance company to inform them of the accident and discuss towing. If not, the police may have your vehicle loaded onto the tow truck to prevent other accidents nearby. As our towing company is sent out to assist you, our goal is to help. You will be informed of where your car will be towed to, fees, storage cost, and other documentation.
- Without a tow truck, your car would remain in the same location as the accident and create a roadblock for moving traffic on the road. Dealing with the aftermath of your vehicle is something we are able to take off of your plate! At Marietta Wrecker, we know accidents are stressful, so it’s our job to help in any way we can. Call us today for any assistance!
WHY CHOOSE US?
We take pride in responding quickly and professionally to every call – no matter how big the challenge. In addition, our team of highly trained towing service professionals is here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help you get back on the road as quickly as possible. Marietta Wrecker Service has been family-owned and operated since our inception. Since 1974, we have upheld the same principles and beliefs that were instrumental from the beginning. Most importantly, when we tow your vehicle or commercial equipment, you can be sure it’s in the hands of professionally trained, licensed, and insured tow truck personnel. Give us a call today!