A Sobering Look at Tennessee Car Accident Statistics

By Thomas Greer | January 25, 2015

Stop and think. Do you know someone who has been in a car accident? Have you ever been in a car accident? With so many people and so many cars, it is hard to find anyone who can answer “no” to these questions.

The fact is that about five and a half million car crashes happen each year in the United States. In 2009, 1.52 million were injured and 30,797 were killed in these crashes.

Knowing the statistics for car accidents may be a first step to greater safety. If we know the main causes of road accidents, it stands to reason that we can then avoid them and be safer. At least that is the hope of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), who publishes detailed accident statistics each year.

According to the Fatal Accident Report (FARS), published by the NHSTA, there were 1,031 fatalities in Tennessee in 2010. Of these:

  • 606 happened in the country and 425 in the city.
  • 767 passengers died; 303 wearing seat belts and 417 not.
  • 283 fatalities involved a driver with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.
  • 229 people died in cars that were exceeding the speed limit.
  • 16 of every 100,000 people died in car crashes in 2010, compared to 10.63 in the U.S.
  • In 2010, almost 31% of Tennessee car accident fatalities involved a blood alcohol content of .08 or more.
  • 48% of Tennessee fatalities were wearing seat belts; 59% in the U.S.
  • 39% of all Tennessee accidents in 2010 happened in passenger cars; the rest involved trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians.

While these numbers are sobering, the overall number of Tennessee car accidents has steadily decreased over the past decade. Yet accidents still happen daily and lives are still shattered.

If you or someone you care for has been injured or killed in a serious car crash, you may need legal advice to sort out the details. Call the Memphis car accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer toll free at 901-680-9777 for a free consultation. Or, fill out the confidential form on this page.

Posted in Auto Accidents, Library