Bicyclist & Pedestrian Fatalities In Macon, Georgia
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 900 bicyclists die each year due to car accidents, with almost 40,000 injured in 2020 alone. Every year, two percent of all motor vehicle crash-related deaths on public roadways involve bicyclists, and deaths amongst bicyclists over the age of 20 have quadrupled over the last almost 50 years.
In 2021, more than 340 bicyclists and pedestrians were killed in car crashes here in Georgia. In Macon, a number of hotspots have been identified as especially dangerous for both cyclists and pedestrians, including Gray Highway (U.S. 129/Ga. 22) and other deadly roads that the county does not have the authority to improve, such as Bloomfield Road, Eisenhower Parkway (U.S. 80), Murphy Avenue, and Pio Nono Avenue (U.S. 41/Ga. 247). Traffic moves fast, and there are a number of semi-trucks using these roads as well, which can increase the risk of accidents occurring.
Why Is It This Dangerous?
Under Georgia law, bicyclists have the right to the full road. Still, a number of police officers are too unfamiliar with the law when it comes to bicycling – or do not bother to enforce it even if they do. In some of these cases, drivers will also claim that it was the cyclist’s fault for such actions as not being as far right as possible on a road. Video footage has captured cars with drivers on their phones slamming into pedestrians and cyclists in crosswalks, only to have the victims sent to the hospital with injuries and citations for “darting into traffic.”
Yet, at the end of the day, both pedestrians and cyclists are also left with a lack of facilities, poorly designed and maintained intersections, high vehicle speeds, too many two-way left turn lanes, and stormwater drainage erosion; all of which increases their chances of being hit. In particular, major roads that lack pedestrian and bike infrastructure can be quite deadly.
There were a number of revelations with important implications for cyclist and pedestrian safety that came out of the Insurance Institute’s recent Status Report, including the following:
- Cyclists in street-level protected lanes are more likely to encounter cars while crossing driveways and intersections rather than by riding in bicycle lanes themselves
- Busy intersections and two-way bike lanes are the most dangerous when motorists are turning
- Pedestrians entering street-level bike lanes from the curb lead to a number of pedestrian-cyclist accidents
Contact Us Today for Help
Whether the result of these accidents are bruises and broken bones, or something worse, this has arguably become a critical public health issue. A number of families are still waiting to receive justice for their loved ones who have been hit, either while riding their bikes or on the roads as pedestrians. This includes those cyclists who were hit by drivers who were illegally inebriated or under the influence of drugs.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, let our Macon personal injury attorneys help you obtain justice. Contact us today for a free confidential consultation.
Sources:
13wmaz.com/article/news/local/pedestrian-safety-is-their-goal-macons-deadliest-streets-are-out-of-their-control/93-e8754bb8-f8a2-4ef1-a3f3-33fee4c5c321
11alive.com/article/news/investigations/why-drivers-arent-held-accountable-for-killing-bicyclists-pedestrians-in-georgia/85-2a845619-0585-4bce-88b3-bcca6744eeef
