Here's how Georgia compares to other states in preventing highway deaths

A recent report from the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety suggests Georgia highways could see fewer deaths with new laws. Georgia lacks laws that require rear-seat passengers to buckle up and children 2 years old or younger are not required to ride in a rear-facing car seat.

The report classified Georgia as one of 36 states that needed improvement because of gaps in Advocates’ recommended optimal laws.

Georgia's overall score, the sum of optimal law scores in six different criteria, was a 5 out of 10. Georgia received scores of 0 for child passenger safety and teen driving programs. It received 1 for impaired driving, distracted driving and occupant protection laws. It received a 2 for automated measures to reduce speeders.

In the past 10 years, Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety said there were 14,530 deaths in Georgia. There were 1,806 in 2021 alone.

42,915 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2021, an increase of 10.5% over 2020, according to the report. Additionally, the report says out of 34 developed countries, the U.S. was one of only three countries that experienced an increase in road deaths, compared to the past three years. 

The organization said more needs to be done in auto safety, calling for safer vehicles. 

"Advocates supports requiring the next generation of verified safety technologies including AEB, impaired driving prevention technology, and others as standard equipment on new vehicles to add to this remarkable, lifesaving legacy," the report reads. 

Here's the current report card, according to the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety.

• Only 5 states (LA, MD, OR, RI, WA) and DC received a Green rating, showing significant advancement toward adopting all of Advocates’ recommended optimal laws. 

• 36 states (AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MN, MS, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, WI) received a Yellow rating, indicating that improvement is needed because of gaps in Advocates’ recommended optimal laws

• 9 states (FL, MA, MI, MO, MT, NE, ND, SD, WY) received a Red rating, indicating these states fall dangerously behind in adoption of Advocates’ recommended optimal laws. 

FOX TV Stations Digital contributed to this report.