A newly released analysis of five years of Georgia State Patrol pursuit records reveals a startling pattern: GSP engages in high-speed chases almost every day, and more than half end in crashes — often over low-level traffic violations.

The report, reviewed by CBS News Atlanta, shows GSP initiated 6,760 pursuits between 2019 and 2023, and 3,428 of them ended in crashes, injuring 1,917 people and killing 63. In 2023 alone, troopers were involved in pursuits on all but 14 days of the year. 

Many of the chases began over speeding, seatbelt violations, or other non-felony offenses. 

The findings raise urgent questions about how Georgia balances road safety with the risks created by vehicular pursuit — especially as other states move to restrict chase policies in response to rising fatalities.

Georgia's pursuit crash rate is more than triple national estimates

Nationally, police pursuits crash about 15% of the time, according to a Bureau of Justice Statistics estimate. Georgia State Patrol's crash rate stands at over 50% — more than three times higher. 

And while Georgia recorded 201 pursuit-related deaths between 2018 and 2022, GSP alone reported 63 fatalities in just the last five years.

Researchers say the risk is amplified because Georgia does not require supervisor approval before initiating a chase — a major difference compared to cities and states that have tightened rules to reduce unnecessary danger. 

In New York City, for example, police generally can only pursue suspects involved in violent felonies, and must obtain supervisory authorization. Hawaii recently passed a statewide bill requiring such oversight. 

Most chases began over minor violations

The report found that 87% of GSP pursuits in 2023 started over nonfelony violations — not violent crimes. In several cases, the chase began over issues like failure to maintain lane or a missing seat belt. 

Still, many of these low-level stops escalated into crashes that injured uninvolved drivers and passengers.

"For everyday people driving in Metro Atlanta, this isn't a dramatic moment you see on TV. It's routine," the report's authors wrote. "These chases often end with wrecked cars and injured families who had nothing to do with the original stop." 

Most chases began over minor violations

The report found that 87% of GSP pursuits in 2023 started over nonfelony violations — not violent crimes. In several cases, the chase began over issues like failure to maintain lane or a missing seat belt. 

Still, many of these low-level stops escalated into crashes that injured uninvolved drivers and passengers.

"For everyday people driving in Metro Atlanta, this isn't a dramatic moment you see on TV. It's routine," the report's authors wrote. "These chases often end with wrecked cars and injured families who had nothing to do with the original stop." 

Legal experts: Pursuit decisions are "use-of-force choices"

The firm that conducted the analysis, Jones & Swanson, told CBS News Atlanta that each police chase is effectively a high-risk use of force — one that courts have increasingly scrutinized.

"Every decision to start or continue a police chase is a use-of-force choice with predictable risks," the firm said. "When a high-speed pursuit over a nonviolent traffic violation ends with a family in the hospital or a bystander killed, the core question becomes whether officers acted as reasonably careful professionals under the circumstances." 

They noted that victims frequently face long-term injuries, medical debt, and complicated legal battles — particularly when liability limits and immunity laws collide with the reality of serious harm.

Advocates push for Georgia to tighten its pursuit policy

Researchers and attorneys argue Georgia's current standards, which allow chases to begin at an officer's discretion, put the state out of step with national trends designed to reduce fatalities. Stricter rules, they say, would not ban pursuits outright but would reserve them for the most serious crimes.

"Clearer standards limiting pursuits to violent felonies, requiring real-time supervision, and documenting risk assessments are fast becoming the minimum level of care courts expect," the report said. 

Lawmakers have not yet announced whether they will consider changes in the 2026 legislative session.

A growing public-safety debate

The data underscores a tension that has long shaped Georgia's public-safety landscape: How do you pursue accountability on the roads without putting others at risk?

As one line in the analysis puts it, Georgia's policy choices leave everyday drivers absorbing the consequences:

"Why are everyday drivers carrying so much of the risk for low-level stops?" 

CBS News Atlanta has requested comment from the Georgia Department of Public Safety and is awaiting a response.