I-85 in Georgia: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 318 fatal crashes on I-85 in Georgia killed 347 people, the 3rd most of 476 numbered roads in Georgia. In 2024 there were 27 fatal crashes and 27 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 16 counties of Georgia. All fatal crashes in Georgia. I-85 in every state.
Deaths on I-85 in Georgia by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 27 | 27 |
| 2023 | 29 | 30 |
| 2022 | 32 | 35 |
| 2021 | 53 | 56 |
| 2020 | 37 | 40 |
| 2019 | 31 | 37 |
| 2018 | 37 | 40 |
| 2017 | 28 | 29 |
| 2016 | 24 | 31 |
| 2015 | 20 | 22 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-85 in Georgia: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Fulton County had the most fatal crashes on I-85 from 2015 to 2024: 72, with 74 deaths. Fulton, Gwinnett and DeKalb counties together held 53% of fatal crashes on I-85 in Georgia from 2015 to 2024; the 10 listed held 95%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulton County | 5 | 72 | 74 |
| 2 | Gwinnett County | 11 | 56 | 60 |
| 3 | DeKalb County | 2 | 40 | 42 |
| 4 | Coweta County | 3 | 33 | 35 |
| 5 | Jackson County | 0 | 26 | 32 |
| 6 | Franklin County | 0 | 25 | 33 |
| 7 | Troup County | 2 | 25 | 27 |
| 8 | Meriwether County | 2 | 10 | 10 |
| 9 | Banks County | 0 | 9 | 10 |
| 10 | Clayton County | 1 | 6 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-85 in Georgia
The heaviest slot is Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 18 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 1 am to 2 am; the worst month is September.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 5.7 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.1 percent, 13 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 4.4 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 2.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 4.1 percent, 13 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 3.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 7 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 2.2 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 10 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 2.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 4.1 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 10 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.2 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 3.8 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan6.3%
- Feb8.8%
- Mar9.1%
- Apr5.3%
- May7.2%
- Jun9.7%
- Jul8.8%
- Aug8.2%
- Sep10.7%
- Oct6.6%
- Nov10.4%
- Dec8.8%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-85 in Georgia
18.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 172 miles of I-85 in Georgia, against 15.3 for all interstates in Georgia. That ranks 1 of 5 interstates in Georgia and 16 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-85 in Georgia first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 47%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 25%, a pedestrian in 17%, a rollover in 5.0%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 148 | 47% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 78 | 25% |
| Pedestrian | 53 | 17% |
| Rollover | 16 | 5.0% |
| Parked vehicle | 14 | 4.4% |
| Other | 9 | 2.8% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-85 in Georgia compare with the state
The largest difference from Georgia: from 2015 to 2024, 0.3% of fatal crashes on I-85 in Georgia were at or near an intersection, against 24% across Georgia. Also above the Georgia share: unlit roads at night. Below it: rural roads, drinking drivers and motorcycles. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Georgia. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 318 crashes.
| I-85 | Georgia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 21% | 36% | below the Georgia share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.3% | 24% | below the Georgia share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 43% | 37% | above the Georgia share |
| A drinking driver | 15% | 20% | below the Georgia share |
| Speeding | 16% | 19% | about the same as the Georgia share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 4.7% | 4.2% | about the same as the Georgia share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 47% | 49% | about the same as the Georgia share |
| Hit-and-run | 5.7% | 5.3% | about the same as the Georgia share |
| A motorcycle involved | 6.9% | 12% | below the Georgia share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 18% | 17% | about the same as the Georgia share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-85 in Georgia
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-85 in Georgia?
- 318 fatal crashes killed 347 people on I-85 in Georgia from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 27 fatal crashes and 27 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-85 in Georgia do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Fulton County had the most fatal crashes on I-85 from 2015 to 2024: 72, with 74 deaths. Gwinnett County was second with 56.
- When do fatal crashes on I-85 in Georgia happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 18 fatal crashes.
- How dangerous is I-85 in Georgia per mile?
- 18.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 172 miles of road, against 15.3 for all interstates in Georgia. That ranks 1 of 5 interstates in Georgia and 16 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Georgia with a page
- I-16
- I-20
- I-285
- I-75
- I-95
- State Highway 1
- State Highway 10
- State Highway 11
- State Highway 124
- State Highway 136
- State Highway 138
- State Highway 14
All fatal crashes in Georgia, with every road ranked.
Where the I-85 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-85 in Georgia (filed under 16 spellings, such as "I-85", "I-85 / LINDBERGH DR", "I-85 CD-4111ON", "I-85 N"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.