Macon, GA Car Accident Statistics & What To Do After a Crash

Why hiring a car crash lawyer can help following a serious accident

Gray Highway and Shurling Drive is the most dangerous intersection in the Macon area. Here's why it matters and what to do if you're in a car accident.

Whether you live or work in Macon, or are just visiting, you may know that the city known as the "The Heart of Georgia" has a rich history. In addition to miles of hiking trails and rivers, there are many neighborhoods with classic Victorian-style, Greek revival, and original southern antebellum homes.

If admiring the architecture isn't your cup of tea, Macon is also one of the birthplaces of soul and southern rock, and is the childhood home of Little Richard and Otis Redding. It's also where James Brown recorded his first single. You can also visit museums and galleries that highlight a variety of artists' works, or the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

But you don't want to get so caught up in all of the fun things that you forget that accidents still happen (everywhere, of course). In fact, there are several dangerous intersections in Macon and some unsettling local data about traffic accident fatalities in recent years.

Car accident and need an attorney? Dial 800-734-4134.

Macon traffic-related fatality statistics

Unfortunately, the number of fatal car crashes in Macon has increased during the past several years, though most related statistics have remained steady over time.

Macon pedestrian fatality study

A study published in 2020 indicates that Macon ranks 10th in the nation for pedestrian fatalities among the 200 largest U.S. cities. The ranking is based on Macon's pedestrian fatality rate in 2017, which was 4.4 per 100,000 people. The nationwide average was 1.7 per 100,000 people. (source)

There were 34 pedestrian deaths in Macon from 2013-2017, and more than ¾ of those were in low-light conditions. In addition, the study shows that in nearly half of the pedestrian fatalities, either the driver or the pedestrian had consumed alcohol prior to the accident.

Fatal accidents in Macon, Georgia from 2016-2019

Source: City-Data.com

Most dangerous counties in Southwest Georgia

More traffic usually equals more accidents.

We analyzed data from the Georgia Electronic Accident Reporting System (GEARS) on the number of crashes in each of the southwest counties in 2019.

By a long shot, Bibb County reported the highest total number of accidents in the region with 7,720 in 2019. The second-highest county in southwest Georgia was Thomas County at 562.

According to GEARS, this was the total number of crashes in each county that reported data.*

County Total number of accidents reported to GEARS in 2019
Bibb 7,720
Thomas 562
Houston 560
Peach 476
Dougherty 444
Twiggs 429
Colquitt 366
Ware 354
Crisp 303
Crawford 282
Tift 247
Worth 170
Brooks 166
Lee 143
Early 142
Decatur 105
Berrien 103
Mitchell 103
Baker 94
Charlton 91
Quitman PD 84
Miller 74
Chattahoochee Hills PD 70
Calhoun 60
Sumter 58
Cook 57
Lanier 51
Dodge 38
Clay 36
Clinch 36
Irwin 23
Grady 16
Bleckley 11
Coffee 7

*Note that not every county has data reported into the system.

10 worst intersections in Macon, GA

According to WGXA News, the top 10 most dangerous intersections in Macon are:

  Intersection Number of collisions Number of injuries
1 Gray Highway and Shurling Drive 59 28
2 Riverside Drive and Northside Drive 47 15
3 Mercer University and Log Cabin Drive 45 5
4 Gray Highway and Clinton Road 44 25
5 Eisenhower Parkway and Log Cabin Drive 42 19
6 Pio Nono Avenue and Rocky Creek Road 41 13
7 Mercer University and Bloomfield Road 39 37
8 Riverside Drive and Spring Street 36 15
9 Riverside Drive and Pierce Avenue 36 10
10 Zebulon Road and Peake Road 29 16

Source: WGXA News

Most dangerous highways in Macon

Macon is crisscrossed by several major interstates: I-75, I-16 and I-475. As a transportation hub, the city has seen some truly horrific high-speed crashes, truck wrecks and multi-vehicle pileups in recent decades.

For example, I-75 in Macon had 5 fatalities near mile 122.5 from 2013-2015. Even so, I-75 still didn't have the highest number of fatal crashes per mile compared to other roads in the city.

Macon road/highway Number of fatal crashes per mile from 2013-2015
Houston Road 2.94
Pio Nono Avenue 2.40
Broadway 2.03
Riverside Drive 1.11
I-75 0.59

Common causes of car accidents

Many car accidents are preventable.

These are the most common causes of car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

Attorney Tom Hinson

"Certainly, even the best and most attentive drivers make mistakes now and then. Fortunately, the vast majority of crashes result in minor (if any) injuries. But even a minor collision can cause major damage to your vehicle and rack up hundreds or thousands of dollars in repair costs."

Thomas H. Hinson, attorney at Westmoreland, Patterson, Moseley, & Hinson, L.L.P. (offices in Macon, Albany, and Warner Robins)

How to recover compensation following your Macon crash

Sometimes, following a car crash, you can simply work with your insurance company and the other driver's insurance company, and everyone gets the settlement they need.

But that's not always the case.

Even a minor injury can cost a lot of money, and a serious injury can cost tens of thousands of dollars (or more). If the insurance companies aren't cooperative, or if insurance doesn't cover the full extent of your accident-related costs, you might be faced with filing a personal injury lawsuit to recover damages.

Under Georgia state law, an injured person may recover damages in a lawsuit if they are less than 50% liable (at fault) for the injury.

Filing a personal injury lawsuit in Macon, Georgia

If you've been hurt, you have 2 years to file a personal injury lawsuit. If your claim isn't filed in that time, it will likely be dismissed by the court.

Here's what you should do after an accident:

1. Obtain medical treatment.

It's important to seek an immediate medical exam even if you think you're not injured. Some car accident injury symptoms don't appear for days, weeks, or even months. If you have whiplash, a concussion, or another injury that doesn't appear right away, it will be difficult to prove that it was related to the crash.

If you've been in an accident, go straight to a hospital, urgent care center, or your primary doctor right away for an assessment of your condition.

2. Call local law enforcement.

A police report is an important piece of evidence after a crash. Whether you're at fault or the other driver caused the accident, the police report is considered an unbiased, accurate accounting of key factors that led to the wreck, such as weather conditions, traffic signals, any obstructions or road conditions that might be relevant, damages, and witnesses.

Even if you're the at-fault driver, a police report can protect you if the other driver later attempts to overstate the amount of damage to their car. For instance, if the police report indicates that the damage appeared to be a dent in a bumper, it would be hard for the other driver to claim many thousands of dollars worth of expenses.

Enjuris tip: The easiest and fastest way to notify police in an emergency is to dial 9-1-1. If the accident appears to be minor and nobody was hurt, you can instead use the non-emergency phone number to request a police response. The non-emergency number for the Macon-Bibb County Sheriff's Office is (478) 751-7500.

3. Gather information and evidence.

If you're uninjured and able to gather some evidence, that can be helpful. But only do this if it's safe to do so and if you don't require immediate medical treatment.

It can be helpful to take photos of the scene with your phone or a camera. Photos and videos can show important details like the position of cars, weather conditions, signs or signals, the extent of damage, and other relevant information.

Accident Report Form
Download in PDF format

You should also obtain information from each person involved in the crash, including their:

  • Driver's license number
  • Name (first and last)
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • License plate number and state
  • Insurance company and policy number

If there are witnesses, take their names and contact information so you can provide it to your lawyer later. Act quickly because some well-meaning passersby might wait at the scene until first responders show up and then leave, thinking there's nothing more they can do to help.

4. Notify your insurance company.

Many insurance companies require their policyholder (you) to file a report within a certain period of time — and often, that's a short time after the accident. A report is not the same as a claim. You might be unsure of whether you want to involve the insurance company or pay out of pocket. Making a report just lets the insurer know the accident happened; it doesn't trigger a claims process yet. It does, however, preserve your ability to file a claim later should you need to.

You can make a report to the insurance company without making a statement about who was at fault. You're also not required to communicate with the insurance company — especially not the other driver's insurance adjuster. If there are questions about liability, it's best to call a personal injury lawyer who can communicate with the insurance company on your behalf.

The insurance adjuster and your personal injury lawyer: How do they work together?

Your insurance adjuster isn't your ally.

In other words, they're not necessarily on your side.

The insurance company makes money by charging premiums and paying out less than it takes in. That's their profit. Therefore, even your own insurance company isn't always motivated to make sure that you're getting the best possible settlement. The adjuster's job is to provide the least possible amount in a settlement that you will accept in order to close the claim.

By contrast, your lawyer's role is to minimize your liability and maximize the payout.

Your lawyer knows the "tricks" the insurance adjuster will use to try to get you to say something that would give them a reason to reduce the amount of your settlement. Your lawyer also knows when it's time to file a personal injury lawsuit — either because you won't reach a settlement, the offer is too low, or because the amount of compensation you deserve is more than the insurance policy maximum.

You can — and should — let your lawyer communicate with the insurance company on your behalf.

5. Keep a diary.

This kind of diary isn't the one you might picture with a lock and key under a teenager's mattress. It's an accounting of your expenses, treatment, repairs, and medical conditions related to the accident.

When you begin treatment after an accident, you'll realize that there's more to keep track of than just your bills. If your claim becomes a lawsuit, the best evidence can be the records you maintain yourself.

Post-Accident Journal Form
Download in PDF format

It will be helpful for you to keep accurate records that include:

  • Medical treatment (Dates, providers, type of treatment, diagnosis, etc.)
  • Medical expenses (Any costs related to the accident, including medication, hospital stays, surgical costs, assistive equipment or devices, doctor visits, etc.)
  • Property damage costs
  • Lost wages

In addition to dollar amounts, you should keep records of your personal condition following the accident. If the accident results in an ongoing condition or disability, this can be important. For instance, if your claim includes pain and suffering, those records can help provide documentation of your condition.

For instance, keep a diary of your condition morning and night. How do you feel when you wake up? When you go to bed? Or does anything change during the day? If you have specific symptoms, write them down with dates, times of day, and if you sought treatment (including whether you took medication).

Enjuris tip: Memories become blurry over time. You might be able to tell a jury that you had persistent headaches in the days following an accident, but it will be more compelling evidence if you can produce a written record with specific dates that you experienced headaches, what medication you had to take, and how they affected your life on a particular day.

6. Consult a Macon car accident lawyer.

What next?

If you're out of work for more than a couple of days, if you have a broken bone or more serious injury, or if your medical bills are more than your policy limits, you should meet with a Macon-area personal injury lawyer.

Typically, your first consultation is free, so it costs you nothing but your time to better understand your rights and calculate the value of your case.

How to find the best car accident lawyer in Macon, GA

Here are several resources to help you find the best lawyer near you:

How to find the right car accident attorney for you

How to find the right car accident attorney for you



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