Reduced Fatalities

Usually there is nothing good about two Tennessee highway fatalities over the period of one weekend, but when the weekend is the Christmas Holiday and in previous years there were up to 22 people killed during this same period, and neither of the fatalities were alcohol related there is room for hope.

According to a news release from the Tennessee Department of Safety a Savannah, Tennessee man, Jerry Paulk, 65, was killed when his vehicle veered off of the road and rolled over into a ravine filled with water.  Thursday morning a 90 year-old Bradley County man, Edward LaMarche, was crossing a street in his motorized wheelchair when he was struck by  car.

Although two families lost loved ones, the good news is that fatalities are way down from what they had been. This seems to be a trend, and one that State officials can take credit for. Fatalities were also down during the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, dropping from 10 in 2008 to seven this year.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident contact the experienced Nashville car crash attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Click It Or Ticket

Highway travel during the 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday week is expected to be heavy in the State of Tennessee as families pile into their cars and head off for holiday destinations. But there’s one sure recipe that can turn a joyful holiday into a tragedy, failure to buckle up.   State Troopers will be patrolling Tennessee Interstates and highways looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing their seat belt. The message to travelers: “Click it or Ticket”.   The 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday period begins tonight at 6:00 p.m., and runs through midnight Sunday, November 29th.

From a Department of Safety press release; “Seat belts are the single most important safety device in your vehicle and they have saved countless lives and prevented untold numbers of injuries over the years,” said Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell. “TDOS urges everyone driving on our state’s roads this holiday to drive carefully, don’t drive impaired and, most important, buckle up each and every trip, night and day.”

Although safety belt usage climbed to 81.5 percent in 2008, more than 50 percent of people killed in Tennessee traffic crashes were not wearing a safety belt. Research shows that it’s almost nine times safer to wear your safety belt every time you get in the car.

“If you are planning to travel by car to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends, make sure you and everyone riding with you buckles your seat belts,” stressed THP Colonel Mike Walker. “Whether you’re traveling across town, or across the state, if you or anyone in your vehicle is unbelted you run the risk of getting a little holiday present from a State Trooper or local law enforcement officer.”

Ten people were killed in crashes on Tennessee roads during the 2008 Thanksgiving Holiday weekend (102-hour holiday period). That is a decrease from 2007 when 13 people died and 20 fatalities in 2006. But six of the eight vehicle occupants who were killed during the 2008 Thanksgiving Holiday weekend were not wearing safety restraints.

From the staff and attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates we wish you a safe and joyful holiday season.