Overview of motor vehicle crashes in 2020

Georgia Traffic Safety Facts
2020 Data

October 2022
In this fact sheet, information is presented as follows.
Fatality & Injury Rates Police-Reported
Crashes Urban vs. Rural Traffic Safety Highlights
by Emphasis Area Georgia Traffic Safety
Performance Measures
Other topic-specific, Georgia Traffic Safety Facts available for 2020 are:
Risky Driving Distracted Driving Pedestrians & Bicyclists
(Non-Motorists) Occupant Protection Older Drivers Motorcycles Large Trucks Young Adult Drivers
This fact sheet contains information from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) crash data modified by Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES) at the Department of Public Health (DPH).
Governor's Office of Highway Safety
7 M.L.K. Jr Dr SE Suite #643 Atlanta, GA 30334 (404) 656-6996 www.gahighwaysafety.org

Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2020
This fact sheet provides an overview of traffic fatalities, serious injuries, and crashes on Georgia roadways, in addition to topic-specific emphasis areas and a summary table of Georgia Traffic Safety Performance Measures.
2020 Key Findings Traffic Fatalities
In Georgia, there were 1,664 motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2020 resulting in
1.43 traffic fatalities for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the state. This is the largest number of traffic fatalities experienced in the past decade. Although Georgia ranks fourth in the number of fatalities in the nation, it ranks 18th in fatalities per 100M VMT.
Georgia traffic fatalities increased by 12 percent from 1,492 in 2019 to 1,664 in
2020. The Atlanta region experienced an increase in the number of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities, unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities, motorcyclist fatalities, speeding-related fatalities, fatalities involving large trucks, and young drivers aged 15- to-20 years involved in fatal crashes. Rural regions experienced an increase in the number of non-motorist fatalities, motorcyclist fatalities, speeding-related fatalities, and alcohol-related fatalities.
Serious Traffic Injuries & Cost
Between 2016 and 2020, the number of suspected serious crash injuries
reported by law enforcement responding to a motor vehicle traffic incident increased by 46 percent, from 5,206 in 2016 to 7,606 in 2020. Car passenger vehicle and light truck passenger vehicle occupants (pickup trucks, vans, and sports utility vehicles) continue to have the highest proportion of serious injuries in traffic crashes.
Approximately 3 percent of all 911 calls were related to motor vehicle traffic
incidents (motor vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists) where emergency medical services (EMS) transported persons to a hospital (63,396 EMS transports). According to the Georgia Trauma Registry data, motor vehicle traffic-related incidents accounted for 26 percent of all injuries treated by designated and non-designated Trauma Centers across the state of Georgia. In 2020, the total motor vehicle traffic-related hospitalization and emergency room charges in Georgia was $1.8 billion for 7,637 motor vehicle traffic-related hospitalizations and 90,702 motor vehicle traffic-related emergency room visits.
Page 1

Fatalities and Injury Rates Despite the decrease in the number of motor vehicle traffic crashes between 2019 and 2020 on Georgia roadways, injury surveillance sources1 show an increase in fatalities and serious injuries. According to police crash reports, the number of traffic-related fatalities increased by 172 fatalities (from 1,492 in 2019 to 1,664 in 2020).
Due to COVID-19 pandemic responses in 2020, there was less traffic volume and fewer vehicle miles traveled than in 2019. The increase in fatalities and serious injuries indicated that the traffic crashes that occurred tended to be more severe. Therefore, the rate of fatal injuries for every 100 million VMT increased by 28 percent (from 1.12 in 2019 to 1.43 in 2020).

Figure 1: Fatalities and Fatality Rate per 100M VMT, 2011-2020

Fatalities

Fatality Rate per 100M VMT

1.6

1.43 1.4

2,000

1.13
1,500

1.11

1.08

1.04

1.21 1.27 1.23 1.14 1.12

1.2

1,432

1,556

1,540

1,505

1,492

1,664

1 0.8

1,000 1,226 1,192 1,180 1,164 0.6

0.4 500
0.2

-

0

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Source: FARS 20112020

In 2020, the state of Georgia ranked as the fourth highest number of traffic fatalities and 18th by fatality rate (traffic fatalities per 100M VMT) in the nation. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of national traffic fatalities increased by 7 percent and the national fatality rate per 100M VMT increased by 21 percent. During this time, Georgia experienced a 12 percent increase in traffic fatalities and a 28 percent increase in the fatality rate per 100M VMT.

Across the five states within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Region 4 (Southeastern United States), Georgia ranks second for the highest number of traffic fatalities and fourth for traffic fatality rate. The number of traffic fatalities within the NHTSA Region-4 increased by 6 percent from 2019 to 2020 and the fatality rate per 100M VMT increased by 16 percent.

Table 1: Traffic Fatalities, Fatality Rate per 100M VMT by Region and Year (2016, 2019, and 2020)

Traffic Fatalities

Fatality Rate per 100M VMT

Region National

2016 37,806

2019 36,355

2020 38,824

Percentage Change

5-Year

1-Year

Comparison Comparison

(2016-2020) (2019-2020)

3%

7%

2016 1.19

2019 1.11

2020 1.34

Percentage Change

5-Year

1-Year

Comparison Comparison

(2016-2020) (2019-2020)

13%

21%

NHTSA Region-4 AL, FL, GA, SC, TN

7,872

7,749

8,210

4%

6%

1.46 1.35 1.57

8%

16%

Georgia

1,556 1,492 1,664

7%

12%

1.27 1.12 1.43

13%

28%

Source: FARS 2016, 2019, and 2020

In Georgia, the traffic fatality rates (per 100M VMT, population, licensed drivers, and registered vehicles) increased in 2020 compared to 2019 (Table 2).

Vehicle miles traveled decreased by 13 percent (17.1 million fewer miles) resulting in 1.43 traffic fatalities per 100M VMT
Population increased by 1 percent (+98,590 persons) resulting in 15.5 traffic fatalities per 100,000 persons
Licensed drivers decreased by 1 percent (-767,201 drivers) resulting in 20.0 traffic fatalities per 100,000 licensed drivers

1 Injury surveillance sources include police-crash reports, emergency medical services, and emergency department/hospital data systems.

Page 2

Registered vehicles decreased by 1 percent (-103,920 vehicles) resulting in 16.1 traffic fatalities per 100,000 registered vehicles

Table 2: Traffic Fatality Rate per Vehicle Miles Traveled, Population, Licensed Drivers, and Registered Vehicles, 2011-2020

Year

Traffic Fatalities

2011 1,226

Vehicle Miles Traveled

Number (millions)

Fatality Rate per
100M

108,496 1.13

Population

Number
9,815,210

Fatality Rate per 100,000
12.5

Licensed Drivers

Number
7,002,114

Fatality Rate per 100,000
17.5

Registered Vehicles

Number
8,581,400

Fatality Rate per 100,000
14.3

2012 1,192

107,387 1.11

9,919,945 12.0

7,043,349 16.9

8,686,939 13.7

2013 1,180

109,259 1.08

9,992,167 11.8

7,099,538 16.6

8,785,922 13.4

2014 1,164

111,923 1.04 10,097,343 11.5

7,263,758 16.0

8,933,714 13.0

2015 1,432

118,107 1.21 10,214,860 14.0

7,337,619 19.5

9,136,983 15.7

2016 1,556

122,802 1.27 10,310,371 15.1

7,414,323 21.0

9,329,835 16.7

2017 1,540

124,733 1.23 10,429,379 14.8

7,512,197 20.5

9,578,056 16.1

2018 1,505

131,456 1.14 10,519,475 14.3

7,616,176 19.7

9,740,847 15.4

2019 1,492

133,128 1.12 10,617,423 14.0

7,761,810 19.2

10,453,617 14.3

2020 1,664

115,967 1.43 10,710,017 15.5

8,332,657 20.0

10,349,694 16.1

Note: The number of licensed drivers includes licensure from all classes (e.g., commercial and motorcycle). Licenses reported in 2011-2015 include suspended licenses and licenses reported in 2016-2020 are valid licenses. Source: FARS 2011-2020, OASIS 2011-2020, DDS 2011-2020, FY2014FY2020 DOR Annual Reports, and DOR 2019-2020.

Suspected Serious Crash Injuries
Between 2016 and 2020, the number of suspected serious crash2 injuries increased by 46 percent, from 5,206 in 2016 to 7,606 in 2020 (Table 3). In 2020, there were 6.58 serious traffic injuries per 100M VMT (a 54 percent increase from 2016) and 2,293 serious traffic injuries per 100,000 traffic crashes (a 79 percent increase from 2016).
The comparison of traffic-related serious injuries by person type between 2019 and 2020 is shown in Figure 2. Car passenger vehicle and light truck passenger vehicle occupants continue to have the highest proportion of serious injuries in traffic crashes. The proportion of serious injuries that were motorcyclists increased from 10 percent in 2019 to 11 percent in 2020.
2 Suspected Serious Injuries are reported by law enforcement responding to a motor vehicle crash scene. Suspected serious injury is used when any injury, other than fatal injury, prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person was capable of before the injury occurred. See Data Considerations for more information on serious injuries.

Table 3: Suspected Serious Injuries and Rates, 2016-2020

Year 2016*

Suspected Serious Injuries
5,206

Suspected Serious Injury Rate

Per 100M VMT

Per 100,000 Crashes

4.28

1,284.4

2017

5,370

4.25

1,327.5

2018

6,401

4.79

1,590.8

2019

7,308

5.53

1,808.9

2020

7,606

6.58

2,293.0

* DOT-523 Crash Report Manual Version 3.0 was revised in January 2018 with a more detailed definition of serious injury. Note: The number of suspected serious injuries may be different from the values reported by other data sources like GEARS, CODES, and Numetric. Source: FFY2022 GOHS Core Performance Measures and Numetric (extracted October 2022) for total crashes.

Figure 2: Serious Injuries by Person Type, 2019 and 2020

2019

2020

1% 4%

7% 10%

47%

1%

5% 6%

11%

46%

31%

30%

Car Passenger Vehicle Occupants Light Truck Passenger Vehicle Occupants (SUVs, Pickup Trucks, and Vans) Motorcyclists
Source: CODES 2019 and 2020

Non-Motorists (Bicyclists & Pedestrians) Other Large Truck Occupant
Page 3

Emergency Medical Services
According to the Georgia Emergency Medical Services Information System, motor vehicle traffic-related incidents accounted for 3 percent of all Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 911 calls in 2020. Of the 63,396 motor vehicle traffic-related incidents reported as seen or transported by EMS in 2020, 76 percent were motor vehicle occupants, 5 percent were motorcyclists, and 6 percent were non-motorists (pedestrians and bicyclists). Compared to other age groups, persons in the 21-to-24 age group have the highest rate of EMS transports 1,185.7 transports for every 100,000 population.
Emergency Room Visits & Hospitalizations
In 2020, there were a total of 90,703 motor vehicle traffic-related emergency room (ER) visits and 7,637 motor vehicle traffic-related hospitalizations.2 Motor vehicle occupants accounted for 94 percent of the ER visits and 76 percent of the hospitalizations related to motor vehicle traffic. Compared to other age groups, persons in the 21-to-24 age group have the highest rate of ER visits and hospitalizations 1,794.3 ER visits and 114.8 hospitalizations for every 100,000 population. The total motor vehicle traffic-related hospitalization and emergency room charges in Georgia was $1.8 billion.
Trauma Center Patients
According to the Georgia Trauma Registry data, motor vehicle traffic-related incidents accounted for 26 percent of all injuries treated by designated and non-designated Trauma Centers3 in 2020 across the state of Georgia.
Of the 9,920 motor vehicle traffic-related trauma patients treated, 76 percent were motor vehicle occupants, 14 percent were motorcyclists, and 9 percent were non-motorists (pedestrians and bicyclists). Compared to other age groups, persons in the 21-to-24 age group have the highest rate of trauma 160.1 trauma patients for every 100,000 population. The rate of traffic-related trauma care for this age group increased by 26 percent from the rate of 118.9 in 2019.

Figure 3: Traffic-Related Injuries Transported by Emergency Medical Services by Person Type and Rate by Age Group, 2020

1% 15% 3%
5%

Motor Vehicle Occupant Motorcyclists Pedestrians Bicyclists Other

76%

63,396 Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related
EMS Transports
Note: Other includes non-specified person type involved in motor vehicle traffic-related incident. Source: Georgia Emergency Medical Services Information System (GEMSIS) 2020
Figure 4: Number and Total Charges for Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related Injuries, 2020

100%

9%

4%

14%
75%

50%

94%

76%

25%

Motor Vehicle Occupant Motorcyclists Pedestrians Bicyclists Other

0%
ER Visits Hospitalizations
98,340 Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related
ER & Hospital Visits
Note: Other includes non-specified person type involved in motor vehicle traffic-related incident. Source: OHIP Hospital Inpatient Discharge and Emergency Room Visit Data (2020)

Figure 5: Traffic-Related Trauma Center Patients by Person Type and Trauma Rate per Population by Age Group, 2020

1% 8% 14%

Motor Vehicle Occupant Motorcyclists Pedestrians Bicyclists

76%
9,920 Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related
Trauma Injuries
Source: Georgia Trauma Registry Data 2020 (extracted Nov 2021)

2 Hospitalization may include individuals who visited the emergency room. Emergency room visits only include individuals who were discharged directly

from the emergency room. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits are for Georgia residents only, while fatalities can be for persons out of state.

3 Not all hospitals are designated as Trauma Centers.

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Police Reported Crashes
In comparison to pre-pandemic years (2016-2019), the number of police-reported motor vehicle crashes on public roads, injury crashes, and PDO crashes changed notably between 2019 and 2020 as shown in Table 1. Between 2019 and 2020, police-reported traffic crashes and property-damage-only (PDO) crashes (crashes with no bodily injuries to occupants or non-occupants) decreased by 23 percent. Despite this decrease, the number of fatal crashes (crashes with at least one fatal injury) increased by 9 percent, and suspected serious injury crashes (crashes with at least one serious injury) increased by 5 percent. The decrease in crashes and PDO crashes can be attributed to several factors, including the reduction in the number of drivers on Georgia roadways and fewer police officers reporting to non-injury crash incidents.

Table 5: Police-Reported Crashes by Crash Severity, 2016-2020

Crash Severity

2016

2017

Year 2018

2019

2020

2019-2020 Change

Number

Percent

Total Crashes

404,854 404,076 402,227 403,897 331,710

- 72,187

- 22%

Fatal Crashes

1,424

1,440

1,408

1,378

1,522

+ 144

+ 9%

Non-Fatal Crashes

403,430 402,636 400,819 402,519 330,188

- 72,331

- 22%

Serious Injury Crashes

4,343

4,468

5,252

6,069

6,370

+ 301

+ 5%

Property-DamageOnly Crashes

375,280 373,944 371,665 367,108 298,749

- 68,359

- 23%

Source: FARS 2016-2020; Numetric 2016-2020 (extracted October 2021) Note: The 2019 Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes Georgia Traffic Safety Facts

included Property-Damage-Only crashes that occurred on private property. The PDO crashes displayed in this table do not include private property crash incidents.

Crash Types
Table 6 displays the number of traffic fatalities by crash type and the number of vehicles involved in the fatal crash for 2016 and 2020. Between 2016 and 2020 the number of fatalities in multi-vehicle fatal crashes increased by 14 percent from 610 fatalities in 2016 to 826 fatalities in 2020.

23 percent of all fatal crashes (346 out of 1,522) occurred at an intersection or within 50 feet of an
intersection perimeter (intersection-related). The number of multi-vehicle fatal crashes that occurred at an intersection or intersection-related increased by 11 percent from 238 in 2016 to 265 in 2020.
31 percent of all fatal crashes were a result of a vehicle departing the roadway by crossing an edge line
or a center line. Centerline crossing may result in a head-on collision when the vehicle enters the opposing lane of traffic. The number of multi-vehicle roadway departure fatal crashes decreased by 7 percent from 211 in 2016 to 197 in 2020.
15 percent of all fatal crashes involved large trucks (commercial and non-commercial trucks with a
gross vehicle weight rating of over 10,000 pounds). The number of multi-vehicle fatal crashes that involved large trucks increased by 28 percent from 130 in 2016 to 166 in 2020.

Table 6: Traffic Fatalities by Crash Type, 2016 and 2020

Fatal Crash Types

Total Fatal Crashes

Fatal Crashes Intersection (or Intersection-Related) Roadway Departure

1,424 338 762

Involving Large Trucks

168

Source: FARS 2016 and 2020

2016
Single Vehicle
814
100
551 38

2020

Multi- Total Fatal Single Vehicle Crashes Vehicle

610 1,522

826

238

346

81

211

748

551

130

211

45

MultiVehicle
696
265
197 166

2016-2020 Percentage Change

Total Fatal Crashes

Single Vehicle

Multi-Vehicle

+ 7%

+ 1%

+14%

+ 2%

-19%

+11%

-2% 26%

0% 18%

-7% +28%

Page 5

Fatal Crashes by Region: Urban vs. Rural
The number of rural traffic fatalities has been greater than the number of urban traffic fatalities since 2014 (Figure 6). The traffic fatalities that occurred in the ten counties that make up the Atlanta region increased by 57 percent from 326 in 2014 to 513 in 2020.
Table 7 shows the one-year comparison of selected traffic categories by region. In comparison to the previous year, the following categories increased in the Atlanta region:
Passenger vehicle occupant fatalities (14 percent increase)
Unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities (43 percent increase)
Motorcyclist fatalities (5 percent increase) Speeding-related fatalities (37 percent increase) Fatalities involving large trucks (14 percent increase) Young drivers aged 15- to-20 years involved in fatal
crashes (30 percent increase)

Figure 6: Traffic Fatalities by Region, 2011-2020
Rural (118 counties) Other Urban Regions (31 counties) Atlanta Region (10 counties) 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Source: FARS 2011-2020 Note: The Atlanta Region includes the ten counties that are defined by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC): Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties.

Table 7: One-Year Comparison of Georgia Regions

Category
Total Traffic Fatalities

2019

Atlanta Region (10 counties)

2020

Change Number Percent

Other Urban Region (31 counties)

2019

2020

Change Number Percent

486 513 27

+6% 472 563 91

+19%

Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities

265 303

38

+14% 319 363 44

+14%

Unrestrained

Passenger Vehicle

86 123 37

Occupant Fatalities

+43% 123 154 31

+25%

Motorcyclist Fatalities

64 67

3

+5% 59 68

9

+15%

Pedestrian Fatalities 133 126 -7

- 5% 73 92

19

+26%

Bicyclist Fatalities

9

9

0

0% 6

14

8

+133%

Alcohol-Related Fatalities

138 125 -13

-9% 110 133 23

+21%

Speeding Related Fatalities

86 118 32

+37% 87 147 60

+69%

Fatalities Involving Large Trucks

58 66

8

+14% 52 71

19

+37%

Young Drivers Aged

15-to-20 Years Involved in Fatal

46 60

14

Crashes

+30% 58 71

13

+22%

Older Drivers Aged

65+ Years Involved 77 69

-8

in Fatal Crashes

-10% 100 113 13

+13%

Source: FARS 2019 and 2020

2019 534 409 177 47 30
6 123 87 94
65
136

Rural Region (118 counties)

2020

Change Number Percent

588 54

+10%

407 -2

0%

189 12

+7%

57

10

61

31

9

3

161 38

115 28

97

3

+21% +103% +50% +31%
+32%
+3%

75

10

+15%

117 -19

-14%

Page 6

Additional Georgia Traffic Safety Facts by Emphasis Area

Below are selected key findings from the 2020 Georgia Traffic Safety Facts (GTSF) by emphasis area. To access the full detailed report for each emphasis area, click the document icon ( ) next to the subsection title.

RISKY DRIVING Drivers involved in fatal crashes with a positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) were 2.3 times more likely to be speeding and 4.3 times more likely to be unrestrained compared to other tested drivers with no alcohol in their system. More than 3 out of 10 (31 percent) of speeding drivers had a speeding conviction and 10 percent of alcoholimpaired and/or drugged drivers had a DWI conviction (driving while intoxicated or impaired) previously recorded within five years prior to the fatal crash.
DISTRACTED DRIVING 47 percent of all motor vehicle traffic crashes had at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver. See `Data
Considerations' for definitions.
30 percent of all serious injury crashes involved at least one driver confirmed or suspected of distraction.
83 percent of all distraction-related crashes involved at least one other vehicle besides the distracted driver.
NON-MOTORISTS Pedestrians
The pedestrian fatality rate per population among Black/African American NonHispanic individuals is nearly double (1.8 times) the pedestrian fatality rate among White Non-Hispanics.
In 2020, nearly four out of five pedestrian fatalities (80 percent) and more than half (56 percent) of pedestrian injuries occurred on roadways with posted speed limits at or above 40 mph.
The motor vehicle-related, pedestrian hospitalization and emergency room visit charges were $172 million for Georgia residents.
Bicyclists There was an average of 25 bicyclist fatalities in traffic crashes each year between 2016-2020. The motor vehicle-related, bicyclist hospitalization and emergency room visit charges were $67 million for Georgia residents in 2020.

MOTORCYCLES There were 192 motorcyclist fatalities that occurred in motor vehicle traffic crashes on Georgia roadways the largest number of motorcyclist fatalities recorded in the past decade. Nearly half (46 percent) of motorcycle operators involved in crashes were riding without a valid motorcycle designation (Class M or MP) on their driver's license. The total motorcycle-related hospitalization and emergency room charges in Georgia was $230.5 million.
LARGE TRUCKS 14 percent of all traffic fatalities involved at least one large truck-- 234 persons fatally injured. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of traffic fatalities involving large trucks increased by 15 percent, and the rate of fatalities involving large trucks per VMT traveled by large trucks increased by 21 percent.
OCCUPANT PROTECTION Unrestrained PV occupants of all ages are more than 4
times more likely to be fatally injured compared to restrained occupants. Rural counties have a higher percentage of unrestrained PV fatalities and serious injuries among occupants of all ages (children and adults) compared to the Atlanta region and other urban regions.
OLDER DRIVERS (55 Years and Older) Older drivers (55+ years) accounted for 33 percent of
all licensed drivers, 26 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes, and 19 percent of all drivers involved in motor vehicle crashes. The total motor vehicle crash-related hospitalization and emergency room charges among Georgia residents 65+ years was $227 million.
YOUNG ADULT DRIVERS (15-20 Years) There were 206 young drivers aged 15-to-20 years old
involved in fatal crashes a 22 percent increase since 2019 (37 more drivers). 35 percent of young adult drivers 15-to-20 years of age involved in a traffic crash were confirmed or suspected of distracted driving. The total motor vehicle crash-related hospitalization and emergency room charges among Georgia residents 15-to-20 years was $181 million.
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Georgia Traffic Safety Performance Measures
Georgia's Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) vision is "Toward Zero Deaths", and the ultimate goal is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities on Georgia roadways. Collaboration and coordination (galvanized by the SHSP) ensure uniformity among the prioritized traffic safety goals in Georgia, encourage a team effort in implementing safety programs, and promote diversity in field disciplines and the representation of stakeholder groups. As such, the SHSP, Highway Safety Plan by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, and Highway Safety Improvement Plan by the Georgia Department of Transportation track the following traffic safety performance measures and ensure that the state goals and target values are in alignment.

Traffic Safety Performance Measures

Traffic Fatalities

Total (C-1) Rural Urban Unknown

Serious Injuries (C-2)

Serious Injuries per 100 Million VMT (HSIP, C-2a)

Fatalities Per 100 Million VMT

Total (C-3) Rural Urban

Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities (All Seat Positions)

Total Restrained Unrestrained (C-4) Unknown

Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities (BAC=.08+) (C-5)

Speeding-Related Fatalities (C-6)

Motorcyclist Total (C-7)

Fatalities

Helmeted

Un-helmeted (C-8)

Unknown

Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes

Total Aged 15-20 Aged Under 21 (C-9) Aged 65+

Pedestrian Fatalities (C-10)

Bicyclist Fatalities (C-11)

Non-Motorist Serious Injuries and Fatalities (HSIP, C-12)

Observed Seat Belt Use (B-1)

Year

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

1,226 1,192 1,180 1,164 1,432 1,556 1,540 1,505 1,492 1,664

627 589 557 462 565 603 594 508 520 647

579 603 621 702 867 953 946 997 972 1,014

20

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

**

**

**

** 4,896 5,206 5,370 6,401 7,308 7,606

**

**

**

**

4.15 4.28 4.25 4.79 5.53 6.58

1.13 1.11 1.08 1.04 1.21 1.27 1.23 1.14 1.12 1.43

1.73 1.68 2.18 1.79 1.98 2.01

2 1.55 1.63 2.23

0.8 0.83 0.74 0.82 0.97 1.03

1 1.01 0.96 1.17

878 829 812 795 1,008 1,047 1,056 994 990 1,072 389 394 350 376 488 484 488 448 514 505

422 368 377 363 411 472 464 441 385 465

67 67 85 56 109 91 104 105 91 102

271 295 296 279 358 378 357 379 355 402

220 180 197 213 268 266 248 268 260 380

150 134 116 137 152 172 139 154 170 192

133 125 107 124 138 154 119 134 151 167

15

8

5

8 10

9

18

16

15

18

2

1

4

5

4

9

2

4

4

7

1,689 1,676 1,621 1,622 2,043 2,154 2,283 2,149 2,184 2,365

6

4

0

4

3

6

6

0

3

4

159 154 156 145 165 182 188 192 169 206

248 205 198 193 293 300 308 272 313 299

130 167 176 163 194 232 253 262 236 279

14

17

28

19

23

29

15

30

21

32

**

**

**

**

594 676 755 735 752 744

93

92

96

97

97

97

97

96

96

96

Page 8

Data Definitions and Considerations:
A traffic crash is defined as an incident that involved one or more motor vehicles where at least one vehicle was in transport and the crash originated on a public trafficway, such as a road or highway. Crashes that occurred on private property, including parking lots and driveways, are excluded.
Fatal crashes are defined as crashes that involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and that resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
Serious injuries are those suspected serious injuries reported by law enforcement and used when any injury, other than fatal injury, prevent the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person was capable of before the injury occurred.
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the Federal agency responsible for use of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision (ICD-10) in the United States, has developed a clinical modification (CM) of the classification for morbidity (EMS, trauma, hospital, and ER data) purposes. ICD-10 Codes used were: V30-V39 (.4-.9), V40-V49 (.4-.9), V50-V59 (.4-.9),V60-V69 (.4-.9), V70-V79 (.4-.9), V81.1 V82.1,V83-V86 (.0-.3), V20-V28 (.3-.9),V29 (.4-.9),V12-V14 (.3-.9),V19 (.4-.6), V02-V04 (.1,.9),V09.2,V80 (.3-.5),V87(.0-.8),V89.2
Passenger vehicles are defined as passenger cars, light trucks (including vans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks).
The Department of Driver Services provided licensing data for the 2019 year. Licensing data by age, county, and license type was not obtained for the 2018 year. The driver licensing database is a live database system and represents the information at a point-in-time on the date of extraction.
Contributing circumstances capture the precrash elements or improper actions of persons (motorcycle operators, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists) that may have caused the crash. Contributing factors in fatal and nonfatal crashes are often underreported in the datasets. There is at least one record per person involved in a fatal crash (FARS Data) and some missing records for persons involved in motor vehicle traffic crashes (Crash Data).
Rural counties are counties that have a population of less than 50,000 according to the United States decennial census of 2010 or any future such census (O.C.G.A. Section 31-6-2). This is different than roadway classifications where urban road systems can be located in urban clusters (or metropolitan areas) of at least 2,500 persons within the rural counties.
Police crash reports are reviewed in a post hoc analysis by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Georgia Department of Public Health, and the Georgia Department of Transportation using a jointly developed definition of suspected distracted driving based on multiple factors. The imputation of suspected distracted drivers includes drivers that indicate emotional distress and evidence of driver inattention and distraction. The imputation removes driver contributing factors that include drug/alcohol impairment, sleepiness/drowsiness, aggressive/reckless driving, and speeding. The CODES Analytical Reference Guide is available upon request.

For More Information:
Other 2020 traffic safety facts are available online at the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety and Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation Systems (CODES):
Risky Driving Distracted Driving Non-Motorists (Pedestrians and Bicyclists) Motorcycles Large Trucks Occupant Protection Older Drivers Young Adult Drivers

The suggested APA format citation for this document is:
Georgia Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System. (2022, October). Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2020: 2020 data. (Georgia Traffic Safety Facts). Atlanta, GA: Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

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