Driving is never safe.
We’ve all heard that it’s much more likely to have a fatal car accident than a plane crash, getting struck by lightning, or getting bitten by a shark, but is this just a myth and what do the numbers actually say?
A recent report by the Department of Safety and Homeland Security announced the 2012 numbers for traffic fatalities in the state of Tennessee, and unfortunately, they seem to confirm that auto fatalities remain one of the biggest current threats to public safety.
The report, released on January 11, 2013, compared 2012 auto fatalities to the previous year and found that nine of the twelve months saw an increase in deaths.
In 2012 alone, a documented 1,019 people lost their lives on Tennessee roads. This number is up 82 deaths from 2011—an almost 9% increase.
The biggest monthly increased occurred in March, which jumped from 80 deaths in 2011 to 107 fatalities in 2012—up 27 people from the previous year in one month alone. The three months with the largest number of auto fatalities were March, May, and August, most likely caused by the additional drivers on the roads who were vacationing in Tennessee.
April and September were the only months in 2012 that saw a decrease in the amount of auto deaths compared to 2011, with April dropping down to 67 fatalities—20 less than 2011—and September having 14 less deaths than the previous year. The month of October saw the exact same number of auto fatalities in 2011 and 2012, topping out at 79 deaths.
These recent numbers of 2012 auto fatalities are daunting, and already 2013 doesn’t seem to promise safer roads. On Tuesday Jan. 15th, a woman in an SUV crashed head-on into a National Park Service pickup truck in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The woman, 24 years old, was pronounced dead on the scene, and the driver and passenger of the truck were taken to a nearby hospital for care.
There has already been a reported 35 auto fatalities in 2013 as of Jan. 16th —an increase from the number of deaths last year at this date—and there will undoubtedly be more before the month is out.
More than ever it is imperative that we all drive safely and defensively on the road to avoid becoming one of the many people that lose their lives on Tennessee roads every year.
If you have received injuries from an auto collision, or have had a spouse or relative that died in a car accident, give us a call to see how our experienced car accident lawyers can help you and ensure you receive proper compensation.