Atlanta Injury Lawyers BlogAtlanta Crosswalks More Dangerous Than Ever
The more things change, the more they stay the same. As most Atlantans know, famous author of Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, was struck and killed in 1939 when a speeding car ran her over at the intersection of Peachtree and 13th Streets. Unfortunately for Atlanta pedestrians, the street crossings over Peachtree Street, while more clearly designed and designated, remain dangerous.
Over 250 people were run over by cars in Atlanta intersections during 2020. That number rose to over 500 in 2022. What gives? Well, it mostly boils down to inattentive drivers. In Margaret Mitchell’s day, roads and crossing were often not properly designed and many pedestrians would “Jay-walk” and not bother to use crosswalks when crossing over Peachtree Street. This lead to a lot of pedestrian accidents. Thankfully, many safety campaigns over the years since such as “cross at the green — not in between” educated the public to cross in designated pedestrian cross walks and obey traffic signals for safer passage on our busy streets (non being busier than Peachtree Street). We see this trend of walkers and bikers utilizing cross walks when crossing, but we also see the trend of distracted drivers running them over.
It doesn’t take much investigation to understand what the cause of the increase in distracted driving causing injuries to pedestrians. Next time you are in your car, just casually look to your left or right and chances are one of the adjacent drivers will be on their cell phone while driving. Yes, it is something that is out of control and needs to be addressed. Even though Georgia has strict laws against holding a cell phone while driving, common sense says that it is not often enforced. We even regularly see cars speeding and weaving in and out of traffic on the interstate while holding a phone in one had.
While some organizations are advocating for more and stricter laws and punishment for distracted drivers, I don’t think this is the solution. How about a campaign by the City of Atlanta, Atlanta Police Department, or on the State level to vigorously enforce the laws we have in place and cite people who are texting or talking on their phones while driving. The current law allows drivers to talk on their cell phone as long as it is properly secured and the driver is not holding it or holding it up to their ear. This would be a good first step: Stop people from driving while holding cell phones to text or talk. This would stop so many pedestrian accidents.
For over 30 years, Attorney Robert J. Fleming has been handling premises liability, medical malpractice and serious personal injury lawsuits for individuals and families who have been injured or died as a result of the negligence or malpractice of others in the Atlanta, Georgia area. He is a partner in the law firm of Katz & Fleming LLC and regularly handles cases in Atlanta well as the surrounding area and other cities in Georgia. He is committed to making a difference in his clients’ lives. If you or a family member have been seriously injured or died as a result of inattentive driving or other negligence and would like to consult about a potential case, contact Robert J. Fleming directly on (404) 525-5150 or contact us online.
