Holiday Highway Deaths

Encouraging news from The Tennessee Department of Safety. The Department of Safety announced that seven (7) people were killed in seven fatal crashes on Tennessee roadways during the 2009 Labor Day holiday, compared to 12 fatalities last year in 10 fatal crashes. The 2009 Labor Day holiday period started at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2009, and ran through 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 7, 2009.

During the 78-hour holiday period, all seven fatal crashes were in single vehicle crashes. Two of the fatalities occurred in alcohol-related crashes. Last year, none of the 12 fatalities occurred in crashes where alcohol was involved. Six of the fatal crashes involved single vehicles. Two of the fatalities occurred in alcohol-related crashes. Five of the people killed were vehicle occupants and three of the five were not wearing safety restraints. The deaths occurred in Bedford, Gibson, Jackson, Lawrence, Scott, Henry and Shelby. This year, one of the victims was a motorcyclist. This is a decrease from last year, when five motorcyclists were killed during the long holiday weekend.

The THP participated in numerous special enforcement initiatives aimed at reducing fatalities during the Labor Day weekend, including more than 80 driver license and sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and speed enforcement. During the holiday weekend the Highway Patrol issued 2230 hazardous moving violations, 1878 for speeding, 55 DUIs and others for following too closely, failure to yield, improper passing, reckless driving, improper turns and 30 for disregarding signals/signs.

As an experienced car accident attorney it’s never good news that seven (7) humans lose their lives but it appears that educational efforts and heavy enforcement paid off with the reduction in fatalities. If you or a loved one is injured in a vehicular accident call the experienced accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates

and find out about your rights and remedies.