- March 9, 2015
- Attorney David Mann
- Car Accidents Truck Accidents
Most of us don’t give much thought to infrastructure – the roads and bridges that we travel over every day.
Decades of neglect have resulted in crumbling concrete, corroded steel and a massive problem with no real solution in sight. In Georgia alone, there were almost 6.6 million licensed drivers in 2012 – that’s a lot of wear and tear on the transportation system.
New Report Raises Concerns About Georgia Roads
One group evaluating surface transportation concerns for all 50 states is a Washington, D.C., based private nonprofit research organization known as TRIP. A September 2014 report by TRIP concluded that population and economic growth in our beloved Peach State has resulted in increased demands on our major roads and highways. Vehicle travel on Georgia’s highways increased by 48 percent from 1990 to 2012, while the population grew by 53 percent. These increases have the added effect of congesting 56 percent of Georgia’s major urban highways and causing 10 percent of those major roads to have pavements rated in poor condition. Due to these conditions, many turn to an auto accident lawyer for assistance. Furthermore, 16 percent of Georgia’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
Why You Might Be Paying More
Driving on defective roads also carries a financial component, including additional vehicle operating costs, congestion-related delays and traffic crashes.
Along with easing congestion and reducing financial costs, the report concluded that repairing surface infrastructure could save lives and lower the rate of traffic accidents. Roadway conditions are a significant factor in approximately one-third of traffic fatalities, and if you’re affected by such incidents, consulting truck accident attorney might be beneficial. In 2012, there were 1,192 traffic fatalities in Georgia. A total of 6,436 people died on Georgia’s highways from 2008 through 2012.
A Good Investment
The Federal Highway Administration estimates that each dollar spent on road, highway and bridge improvements results in an average benefit of $5.20 in the form of reduced vehicle maintenance costs, reduced delays, reduced fuel consumption, improved safety, reduced road and bridge maintenance costs, and reduced emissions as a result of improved traffic flow.
As Georgia works to retain its businesses and its population continues to grow, the cost of doing nothing to repair our transportation infrastructure seems to be much higher than the alternative. If you have any questions about this topic or believe that an infrastructure issue caused your accident, contact the Mann Law Firm at (478) 742-3381 or use this convenient online contact form.
Attorney David Mann
Before leading his own firm, Mann served for several years as in-house defense counsel for a large insurance company, which gives him unique insight into how insurance companies work. He uses this critical knowledge as an advantage for his clients. He is a tough negotiator and litigator, and he is exceptionally strategic in building cases on behalf of personal injury victims.[ Attorney Bio ]
