Tennessee State Accident Statistics
Our state has seen a steady decline in motor vehicle traffic accidents over the ten-year period between 2006 and 2015, with traffic fatalities falling from 1,284 to 958, respectively. However, pedestrian deaths significantly increased over that same time period.
Of those who died in traffic accidents, 684 were occupants of passenger vehicles. Unfortunately, only 302 of those passengers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that seat belts saved 377 and could have potentially saved an additional 109 lives if all vehicle occupants wore their restraints every time they traveled.
Drunk driving kills thousands of people every year and while alcohol-related fatalities fell in Tennessee from 414 deaths to 252 over the ten-year period.
Speeding and drunk driving cause or contribute to the death of countless people every year. In our state, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities fell from 414 deaths to 252 over the analyzed time period. Speeding-related fatalities also decreased, falling from 297 to 187.
Tennessee has a universal helmet law to protect motorcycle riders and bicyclists, as well as a graduated driver’s license program that affords new drivers extra time to develop safe operating skills. These laws are evident in the relatively low number of fatalities. In fact, of the 123 motorcyclists who were killed in crashes in 2015, only 12 were not wearing their helmets. The graduated driver’s license program delays full driving privileges until the new operators either acquires a minimum number of hours of experience or reaches a specific age. This program is at least in part responsible for the decrease in new driver accident fatalities, which fell from 232 in 2006 to 103 in 2015.
Unfortunately, the statistics for pedestrian deaths show that Tennessee needs to do more to protect these most vulnerable of road users. Pedestrian deaths had steadily increased from a low of 60 in 2008 to a decade high of 104 in 2015.
If you have been injured in a car accident or lost a loved one in a fatal crash, you need a dedicated team of attorneys and legal professionals fighting for your rights. Our attorneys have a long and proven record of helping the victims of car accidents get the compensation they deserve.
Call us today if you or a loved one were injured in a-
- Commercial bus crashes
- School bus accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Truck crashes
- Motorcycle collisions
- Commercial vehicle accidents
- Semi-truck crashes
We’ll fight insurance companies, negligent operators, and reckless drivers to get you the maximum compensation you deserve.