ATLANTA — We can blame almost anything on the pandemic – but not this one.
Distracted driving is all on us, and it’s getting worse in Georgia.
“Open roads were not an invitation to drive recklessly or excessively,” said Natalie Dale with the Georgia Department of Transportation.
So how much worse is it? GDOT says fatal wrecks are up 13%.
And you can attribute most of that to speed, distracted driving and not wearing your seatbelt. And behind all that twisted metal are friends, family and innocent drivers.
"1,700 people did not go home to their families in Georgia - that is a big deal," Dale said. "And when we look at those crashes, when we look at what happened, you can't ignore the distracted driving, impaired driving, excessive speeds."
With things getting ack to normal and school starting in just a few weeks, the numbers could get worse with the extra cars on the road. That’s why officials are pleading with the public to make changes starting now.
“We really have got to start having the conversation about what it means to be an active driver, be a participant in driving," Dale said.