Despite best efforts, drunk driving continues to be a problem on Tennessee’s roadways. The newest data from the Tennessee Highway Patrol shows more motorists were arrested for driving under the influence last year than in 2013. That same year, drunk driving fatalities represented almost 30 percent of all highway deaths.
So what can we do to reduce Tennessee drunk driving accidents? What if law enforcement could predict where drunk drivers will be? This may seem like wishful thinking, but new technology may make this a reality sooner than later.
According to an article from My FOX Memphis, the Tennessee Highway Patrol plans to use software that can predict where accidents will occur to guess which roads, highways, and intersections are most likely to be traveled by drunk drivers.
The technology currently uses time, date, weather conditions, and traffic patterns to determine where collisions are most likely. A new version of the software will use similar variables to hypothesize about the locations of drunk drivers.
Officials say the information obtained from the software can be used to determine where saturation patrols and checkpoints should stationed.
At Ponce Law, we’ve seen the impact that Tennessee drunk driving accidents can have on victims and their families, and our Nashville car accident attorneys are hopeful this new technology can be used to better protect our state’s motorists from drunk drivers.