Every year, New Year’s Eve — along with the early hours of New Year’s Day — is one of the most dangerous times for drivers out on the road. People are likely to be drinking to excess, not making good decisions and ultimately getting behind the wheel, which increases the likelihood of car accident occurring.

This year, there were two deadly accidents (and three deaths) in Georgia before the sun even rose on New Year’s Day.

The first accident, a hit and run, occurred on westbound Interstate 20 in Atlanta near Hamilton E. Holmes Drive. A motorist reportedly hit another vehicle, killing that car’s driver, and then continued on. The second accident occurred in Hall County slightly before 5 a.m. This accident, which happened on the southbound section of I-985 near Friendship Road, resulted in two deaths and left a third person in critical condition.

State aims to reduce fatal crashes

The Georgia Department of Transportation launched its “Drive Alert, Arrive Alive” campaign last summer in an effort to curb the frequency of fatal accidents on state roads. There were 1,142 traffic deaths in 2014 in Georgia, with that number rising to 1,339 in 2015. This increase of nearly 200 deaths is a reversal from the trend of declining car accident deaths in previous years.

The Georgia State Patrol was hoping to make it through New Year’s without a traffic fatality, and had devoted significant resources to educating people about the dangers of drunk and distracted driving and other options for getting home from parties. These recent fatal auto accidents are an unfortunate reminder of the dangers alcohol and drug use present when mixed with operating a motor vehicle.

If you or someone close to you has been seriously injured in a car wreck because of another person’s negligence, consult the skilled Atlanta auto accident attorneys at McMenamy Law LLC.