Regardless of where one is, the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle-related accident is always present. Even when certain changes in law enforcement result in lowered accident rates, reckless drivers still cause a high number of accidents every year -- many of which, tragically, result in fatalities. At the beginning of the New Year, Tennessee residents may be interested to learn of just how many fatal accidents occurred in 2013.
Fewer than 1000 people died in fatal accidents on Tennessee roads in 2013. This is only the fourth time a number this low has been reported in 50 years. The exact number is, surprisingly, 988 -- a 2.7 percent decrease from 2012.
Some attribute this decrease in fatal accidents to an increase in DUI arrests. The number of DUI arrests made by law enforcement officers increased by 90 percent over 2010. This led to a 26.7 percent decrease in alcohol-related car accidents.
With these statistics, law enforcement officials hope they will be able to reduce fatal car accidents even more in 2014. By using a predictive analytics model, authorities hope to be able to look closely at where accidents are most likely to occur and use this information to hopefully take preventative actions.
Though the number of fatal car accidents was notably low in 2013, and officials hope that number will be even lower in 2014, car accidents are still a risk for every driver that goes on the road. When someone is caught in an accident, that person's life changes suddenly and pain and suffering is often the result. If another driver's negligence was at play in the accident, the victim may wish to take legal action. Car accidents often result in medical expenses and other costs that can be compensated if another driver is proven to have displayed negligence in the accident.
Source: WBIR, "988 people died on Tennessee roads in 2013," Jan. 2, 2014