These 4 Macon roads commonly see serious car crashes, data shows. Here’s why
Four local roads in Macon account for most of the serious and even fatal car crashes, according to data from last year from the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Though many car crashes occur at random and in unsuspecting places, data from the GDOT shows that, besides Interstate 75, Pio Nono Avenue, Mercer University Drive, Hawkinsville Road and Eisenhower Parkway have seen the most car crashes that have led to passengers suffering from serious injuries and even dying in Macon from 2019 to 2024, according to the GDOT’s data.
In 2024, there were 6,009 car crashes in all of Bibb County. Over 150 of them resulted in serious or fatal injuries, according to the data. While 116 of them resulted in serious injuries, 35 car crashes have caused deaths.
Since 2019, 275 car crashes were fatal.
Why are crashes common there?
State routes like Pio Nono Avenue, Mercer University Drive, Eisenhower Parkway and Hawkinsville Road see a lot of heavy traffic and are used to connect to the interstate and for travel between counties, according to Lt. Donald Johnson with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office told The Telegraph.
But most serious or fatal crashes are the result of pedestrians and motorists not obeying the laws, according to Johnson.
“Especially pedestrians, when they’re stepping out into the roadway where they don’t need to, or they’re crossing, not at a crosswalk ... and they’re misjudging or miscalculating the vehicle coming down the road,” Johnson said. “Sometimes the driver (doesn’t) even see you.”
As for the drivers, they can be speeding, distracted by their phones or have a lot of things going on inside their vehicles and they’re not seeing what’s ahead of them. Drivers operating their cars under the influence is also a factor, Johnson said.
Though rare, engineering issues can be at fault, too
Construction on the roads, which is being done to change lanes, can also be a cause of accidents, according to Johnson. It’s common for out-of-towners to get into car crashes since “they aren’t familiar with the territory with all the construction going on,” Johnson said.
“If you’re unfamiliar (with your surroundings), coming through that construction area ... they’re not paying attention, and they make a wrong decision on what to do ... they may panic,” according to Johnson.
However, though a driver is often at fault in the accident, certain parts of the roadway’s engineering could have contributed to an accident, Johnson says. There are often rear-end accidents at the tops of hills whenever traffic is congested, he said.
“They have nowhere to go,” Johnson said.
‘Adhere to the law’
Overall, the best way to avoid a grave accident is to pay attention to the roads and look ahead for at least six or 12 seconds, Johnson advises. He also stresses to stop looking down at cellphones while driving.
“Pedestrians and motorists alike, we need to and should adhere to the law,” Johnson said. “That way, we can reduce fatalities, serious injuries and accidents all together.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
