Glenda Mitchell Law Firm

Truck drivers in Georgia may be intrigued to know that in the state of North Dakota, most truck crashes that involve injuries occur in the oil regions. Figures from North Dakota's Vision Zero Plan indicate that around 67% of truck-related crashes between 2012 and 2016 occurred in the state's oil counties. The Vision Zero Plan is a statewide initiative meant to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on the road.

As for the factors in this trend, it appears that truck driver fatigue is a major one. Two crashes on a particular Highway 23 bypass, known as the New Town Truck Reliever Route, have brought up concerns once again about drowsy driving. The bypass was constructed back in 2014 at the cost of $24 million to enhance road safety.

In 2013, there were 37 deaths involving fire trucks, police cars or ambulances around the country. In the first four months of 2019, 16 first responders were struck and killed by cars. Now, a survey from the National Safety Council and the Emergency Responder Safety Institute has confirmed an unfortunate trend: most drivers become distracted around emergency vehicles, endangering first responders. Atlanta motorists will want to know more.

What most drivers do when they see an emergency vehicle is slow down to get a better look (80 percent admitted to it). Next, they take pictures or videos (71 percent). Sixty-six percent send an email about it, and 60 percent post on social media about it. This was regardless of whether the emergency vehicle was making a routine traffic stop or responding to a crash or fire.

Georgia residents should know that police had to close the intersection of South Carolina Highway 253 and Cedar Lane Road while a crash was being investigated. The Greenville County Sheriff's Office has released details about the crash that occurred the morning of April 7.

A family of four was driving to church that morning when a car sped through the intersection and collided with them, eventually hitting a gas pump at an Energy Market gas station and convenience store. All four of the family members were taken to an area hospital, and their condition has not been revealed. One witness says, however, that a child was thrown from the family's vehicle at the time of the crash.

Pickup truck owners in Georgia should know the results of some recent crash tests that were conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Since 2017, the IIHS has been testing the safety of both driver and front passenger sides, and it looked at 11 two-row pickups from automakers like GM, Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

Researchers found that front passenger safety is being neglected compared to driver safety. In fact, passengers in newer pickups are more likely to suffer injury or death in an accident than the drivers. The following is a ranking of the 11 vehicles' front passenger protection.