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The Problem with Georgia Seat Belt Laws Not Including Pickup Trucks

While Georgia, like most states in the nation, imposes mandatory seat belt laws on its motorists, these laws unfortunately leave a gaping hole. Georgia is the only state in the country to exempt pickup trucks from its seat belt requirements. As a result, according to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, only 62.5% of truck occupants use a seat belt, as compared to 83.5% of car occupants. The effect is that more pickup truck drivers will die each year as a result of a crash. Approximately 30% those fatalities involve drivers who failed to wear a safety belt.

Why are Atlanta truck drivers exempt from the seat belt law?

The Georgia legislature chose to exempt pickup truck drivers from seat belt requirements because they thought it would inconvenience farmers. Sadly, this puts drivers at greater risk of injury and death.

Why is this so dangerous?

In addition to the numerous safety statistics that prove the increased incidents of injury and death caused by failure to wear a seat belt, Atlanta truck drivers face additional risks. These vehicles are frequently driven in rural and wooded areas, which are also the most frequent places for motor vehicle accidents in the entire Southeast. The Federal Highway Administration reports that on rural roads, 48.6% of fatal crashes involve pickup truck drivers failing to wear seat belts.

What is the result of this exemption?

According to Georgia Representative Calvin Hill, the exemption results in:

• approximately 50-70 deaths annually
• 5,000 serious injuries
• roughly $20 million in Medicaid expenses
• Loss of $20.7 million in federal highway funding

For more information about Atlanta truck crashes, contact the Atlanta truck accident attorney experts at the 404-513-5415 for a free consultation.