The state’s car accident reporting system receives police reports from the accident scene, enabling the Department of Transportation to pinpoint the scene of every car accident reported to it. That means the state can easily identify intersections and roads where multiple accidents happen and seek solutions.
At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Instead, if any glitch occurs between the officer and the state’s computer, the accident scene is likely to default to a single address. Which explains why there were more than 7,000 car accidents at Atlanta City Hall during the past three years.
The data problems are especially troubling when it comes to accidents involving pedestrians — the focus of an AJC investigation for the past several months. The reporting errors make it hard to identify hot spots.
One hundred eighty pedestrians died on Georgia roads in 2013 – the highest total in more than 15 years. Subscribers may read the AJC’s full investigation report at myajc.com, along with an interactive map showing all pedestrian deaths in metro Atlanta last year.
» Read Part I: Pedestrians in Atlanta on foot and in danger
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