What are the most dangerous roads in Georgia?

Georgia has thousands of miles of surface streets, highways and interstates. People travel those roads daily with little concern for their safety. After all, most trips in motor vehicles do not lead to crashes that cause severe injury or other challenges.

However, sometimes people cross paths with someone who causes a car crash. Those involved in collisions may end up suffering severe injuries or dying because of a collision. Statistically, there are certain roads in Georgia that see more collisions and far worse crashes than other locations around the state. Drivers who are aware of where their collision risk is highest are in a better position to protect themselves.

Many of the most dangerous roads are in or near Atlanta

When looking at the crashes that occurred between 2018 and 2020, researchers were able to locate certain sections of road that had far more crash risk than others. Four of the ten most dangerous roads located were in the Atlanta area.

I-285 between Exit 53 and South Loop Road was the seventh most dangerous stretch of road. There were eight fatal crashes that led to 10 total fatalities. I-85 between Exit 71 and Exit 77 took sixth place on the list with nine fatalities from nine crashes.

Old National Highway (Georgia 279) between Bethsaida Road and the I-85 overpass saw 10 fatal crashes. Georgia 85 and I-285 in Decatur also both saw ten traffic deaths during those three years. I-20 between Exit 71 and Exit 65 saw 11 deaths, as did I-285 i n East Point/College Park. The deadliest road in the state is Moreland Avenue or Georgia 42 between S. River Industrial Blvd and Wylie St. SE between Decatur and East Atlanta.

Given that the most dangerous roads are also often the most traveled and convenient access routes in an area, people cannot simply avoid the streets that see the most fatal collisions. Of course, they can plan alternate routes during times when road conditions are particularly dangerous or traffic is unusually heavy. Ultimately, being aware of factors that influence personal safety risk could make a major difference for someone who regularly drives or travels in a vehicle.