A new report from Propel ATL reveals a disturbing pattern of racial disparity in traffic fatalities across Metro Atlanta. In 2024, more than 61 percent of all traffic deaths occurred in predominantly Black neighborhoods, even though these areas represent only 43 percent of census tracts in the five-county region covering Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett.
The 425 traffic fatalities actually exceeded the region’s 410-plus homicides, yet receive far less attention. Rebecca Serna, Propel ATL’s Executive Director, notes that these deaths reflect systemic inequities rather than random accidents. Black neighborhoods often lack basic safety infrastructure like sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes due to historical planning decisions.
The disparities mirror national trends showing that Black and Native Americans face higher traffic death rates than other groups. High-speed, multi-lane roads frequently cut through lower-income communities where transit-dependent populations have few safe ways to reach bus stops. Notably, 59 percent of pedestrian deaths happened within walking distance of bus stops.
The human cost is evident in stories like Allen London’s. The gifted artist had rebuilt his life after a 1996 hit-and-run left him with a traumatic brain injury, only to be killed by another speeding driver on the same dangerous corridor nearly three decades later.
Serna emphasizes that proven solutions exist, including narrowing lanes, adding protected crosswalks, and building bike lanes, but they require political will to prioritize lives over traffic speed.
See: “Metro Atlanta Traffic Deaths Outpace Homicides—New, Five-County Report Maps the Human Cost of Mobility and Calls for Change” (December 02, 2025)
