NCJ Number
13984
Date Published
1974
Length
19 pages
Annotation
STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON TRAFFIC FATALITIES, CORRELATED WITH SUCH FACTORS AS AGE, SEX, MILES TRAVELLED, TYPE OF DRIVER, COUNTY, AND TIME, PRESENTED IN NUMEROUS GRAPHS.
Abstract
THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES ON OUR HIGHWAYS ARE INCREASING. 1,427 FATALITIES WERE RECORDED IN 1973 ON TENNESSEE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. IN SPITE OF THIS INCREASE, THE DEATH RATE OF 4.9 PER 100,000,000 VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED IS LOWER THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. (1964-1973). SPEED CONTINUES TO BE THE BIGGEST SINGLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS, ACCOUNTING FOR 35.9 PERCENT OF ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. IN 1973, A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED EVERY 3 MINUTES AND 45 SECONDS, ONE INJURY EVERY 12 MINUTES AND 1 SECOND, AND ONE FATALITY EVERY 6 HOURS AND 9 MINUTES. FATAL ACCIDENTS WERE HIGHEST IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS OF THE DAY, ON THE LAST DAY OF THE WEEK, AND THE SUMMER AND FALL MONTHS OF THE YEAR. THE AGE OF THE DRIVER OF AN AUTOMOBILE, AS WELL AS THE SEX OF THE DRIVER, AFFECTED THE PROPORTIONATE DISTRIBUTION OF ALL FATAL ACCIDENTS. IN PROPORTION TO AGE GROUP AND SEX THE MALE DRIVER UNDER 25 YEARS OF AGE ACCOUNTS FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF FATAL ACCIDENTS. THE COUNTIES WITH THE MOST POPULATION AND THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION HAD THE GREATEST NUMBER OF FATAL ACCIDENTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)