A deadly year on Georgia roads

ATLANTA — The number of people killed on Georgia roadways in 2015 increased more than 17.4 percent over 2014, according to new state numbers.

A total of 1,374 people were killed during the year, according to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. That is up from the 1,170 people killed on roads in The Peach State in 2014, the numbers reveal.

Authorities say bad driving habits — such as distracted driving — is partly to blame for the uptick in deaths.

More people were killed in 2015 compared to a year ago on interstates in Georgia (191 vs. 153), state highways (683 vs. 564) and local routes (500 vs. 453). There were also more pedestrian deaths (197 vs. 168) and bicyclist deaths (139 vs. 133) in 2015 compared to 2014, the data shows.

Meanwhile, six people were killed in train crashes in 2015. That is down from seven in 2014.