Georgia Injury Law Blog
Preventing deaths from auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents and bicycle accidents needs to be a top priority in Atlanta and throughout Georgia. A report by the Emergency Nurses Association, which rates states based on how they fare on 14 established criteria, shows that Georgia performs quite well on the parameters, but still has work to do.
The report by the ENA compares all 50 states, and rates them based on how they perform against the following criteria:
1. The existence of primary enforcement seat belt laws
2. If primary enforcement seat belt laws apply to all seating positions
3. The existence of booster seat laws
4. If existing booster seat laws cover children up to the age of eight
5. The existence of child passenger seat laws that cover children up to 16
6. The existence of graduated driver licensing laws and a withholding period of six months for the learner stage
7. If the GDL laws include nighttime restrictions
8. If the GDL laws include passenger restrictions
9. If the GDL laws require up to 50 hours of supervised driving for drivers at the intermediate stage
10.Existence of mandatory motorcycle helmet laws
11.Whether these motorcycle helmet laws require that all helmets be DOT-approved
12.Existence of an ignition lock device law to combat hard-core drunk driving
13.Primary enforcement of laws banning the use of cell phones and other electronic devices while driving
14.Laws that allow and encourage the state to develop and evaluate a statewide trauma system
Two states, Washington DC and Oregon met all 14 of the criteria.Georgia met 11 of the criteria.Georgia ended up with a score of 11 because of the state’s failure to require primary seatbelt enforcement for all seating positions, failure to require booster seat for children up to the age of eight, and failure to require ignition interlock devices for all persons convicted of drunk driving.
Meeting these criteria would not just prevent Georgia drunk driving accidents, but could also keep adult and child passengers safer in the event of an accident. While the ENA report is not released by a federal agency, as Atlanta car accident attorneys, we would encourage Georgia state transportation safety agencies to consider these recommendations and implement these.