One of the best ways to protect yourself from serious car accident injuries is to always wear your seat belt. Unfortunately, many Tennesseans choose not to buckle up, and in some parts of the state, it’s costing a growing number of motorists their lives.
In 2015, slightly less than half of all fatal motor vehicle collisions in Tennessee have involved a motorist or passenger who was unrestrained at the time of the crash. In Bedford and Hawkins counties, a lack of seat belt use has been associated with a swelling number of deadly collisions.
Law enforcement in The Volunteer State is working to address this problem though, and agencies will soon have a new resource. According to an article from WKRN News, the Tennessee Highway Patrol was selected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to lead a new pilot program that will promote occupant safety enforcement.
As part of the program, agencies will collect data on seat belt, child safety seat, and motorcycle helmet usage on a monthly basis. The data will then be submitted to the NHTSA for analysis.
We take pride in promoting motor vehicle safety at Ponce Law, and our Goodlettsville car accident attorneys are hopeful the new program inspires more Tennesseans to buckle up while traveling.