Heavy construction around the interchanges for GA-400 and I-285 has resulted in confused drivers, and even increased risk. Because of this, Sandy Springs authorities announced this week that they’re partnering with Waze for Cities in order to provide live updates and advance warnings to drivers about road closures, heavy delays, and other traffic issues that can lead to stress during the construction. These updates can be accessed by area drivers via the Waze GPS traffic app. As explained by Waze, the Waze for Cities (W4C) program — formerly known as Connected Citizens Program (CCP) — allows city governments and citizens to “exchange publicly available incident and road closure reports, enabling our government partners to respond more immediately to accidents and congestion on their roads.”
According to a representative of the Sandy Springs Police Department, the confusion at the interchange has led to an increase in road rage incidents, which are a common cause of accidents or even assaults. Road rage is a series of risky driving behaviors committed in order to punish other drivers. Common examples of road rage include tailgating, attempting to block another vehicle from turning or passing, honking or gesturing at other drivers, getting out of a vehicle to physically confront another driver, or even attempting to ram a vehicle off the road or threatening another driver with a weapon.
The Georgia Department of Transportation notes that more than 17,000 accidents occur in the state’s construction work zones each year, resulting in more than 5,000 injuries to construction workers and motorists and about two dozen fatalities. In an effort to reduce accidents and congestion, Sandy Springs officials are considering a roundabout to improve traffic flow and safety.
In another part of the city, residents have requested the city’s help with a dangerous road that has seen multiple accidents, further highlighting the need for improved road safety measures.
If you have been injured as a result of a traffic accident that was caused by road rage or occurred within a work zone, the experienced legal team at Cambre & Associates can help you understand the process for obtaining compensation for your injury. Additionally, understanding key prevention methods to avoid common winter car accidents can be beneficial for staying safe on the roads. Contact us for your free case evaluation.