Fewer Tennessee Traffic Accident – Higher Risks for Bicyclist, Pedestrains, Motorcyclists

The overall number of traffic accident fatalities dropped about 2 percent in 2011, according to statistics released this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

However, we saw increases in the number of accident fatalities among bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. Still, officials boast about this being the lowest overall number of road deaths since statistics were first recorded back in 1949.

“Even as we celebrate the progress we’ve made in recent years, we must remain focused on addressing the safety issues that are continuing to claim more than 30,000 lives each year,” says NHTSA’s Administrator David Strickland.

Our accident attorneys in Knoxville understand that officials continue to push safety campaigns as a means of education the public and reducing the risks. Unfortunately, all of these campaigns are useless without the participation of travelers. According to Ray LaHood, the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation, officials have been pushing their distracted driving campaign for years now. Still, distracted driving saw a near 2 percent increase in 2011.

Tennessee was recognized in the recent NHTSA press release for being one of the states with the highest decrease, seeing about 85 fewer fatalities in 2011 than in 2010, but we’re still falling victim to accidents involving our more vulnerable travelers. Drivers are just too caught up in themselves nowadays to keep their full attention on the road.

If you look closely at the trends from both 2010 and 2011, you’ll see that people were traveling less in 2011. We were all feeling the effects of the struggling economy and higher gas prices and we traveled less because of it. Travelers were also looking for more cost effective ways to get around, causing more people to use bicycles, motorcycles and their own two feet — hence the increase in the number of these kinds of fatal accidents.

Another contributor to these kinds of accidents is the design of many of our roadways. They were created with one thing in mind — getting vehicles to where they’re going fast! Not many of our roadways were created with considerations for bicycles or pedestrians. The design of these roadways put these travelers in serious risks for accidents.

Tennessee may have seen a more than 8 percent decrease in the number of traffic accident fatalities from 2010 to 2011, but we’re far from done. We’re calling on all travelers to be more cautious out there. No one goes out looking for an accident, but they happen. Drivers are asked to be more cautious of other travelers on our roadways. Remember that we all have rights to our roadways and those rights need to be respected. Slow it down, drive with compassion and help to make out streets safer for everyone. It’s completely achievable, but it takes a group effort.

If you are involved in a Tennessee traffic accident, contact Hartsoe Law Firm, P.C. for a confidential consultation to discuss your case at (865) 804-1011! More Blog Entries: NTSB’s Safety Wish List & Risks for Knoxville Drivers, Tennessee Injury Attorney Blog, November 16, 2012 Tennessee Distracted Driving Law & Your Car Insurance Rates, Tennessee Injury Attorney Blog, November 9, 2012