With seven million licensed Georgia drivers, collisions commonly occur on the state’s roadways. While many such crashes are minor, severe auto accidents result in serious injuries and fatalities.
Be aware of hazards when traveling on these Northern and Central Georgia roads, which statistically see the highest rates of fatal crashes each year based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
Atlanta
Atlanta has 13 of the deadliest stretches of roads in Georgia, which total about 40 miles of road and account for 97 fatal crashes (101 fatalities). Hazardous areas to avoid around Atlanta include:
- Old National Highway
- I-20 northwest of Summerhill
- I-75
- I-285
The city also has the highest rate of drunk driving fatalities in the state.
Augusta
Augusta is the second most populated city in Georgia and has two particularly dangerous stretches of road. The Mike Padgett Highway (1.29-mile length) and Gordon Highway (2.42 miles stretch) each produce six crashes and fatalities a year on average. The Mike Padgett Highway is the second deadliest stretch in Georgia.
Athens
While Athens has a lower overall rate of fatal crashes than larger cities such as Atlanta, avoid Jefferson Road. While this section spans less than a half-mile, it has an average of five fatal crashes annually.
Decatur
The unincorporated sections in Decatur contain seven of the most dangerous roads in Georgia, second only to Atlanta in the rate of dangerous crashes. Most notably, Wesley Chapel Road averages five fatal crashes each year, while the entire Decatur postal code had 16 drunk driving fatalities, nearly a third of the state total, in the study data.
Planning your route according to this guide can potentially reduce your risk of involvement in a catastrophic auto accident.