Death Total Down For Holiday Weekend

Preliminary figures from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security show 13 people were killed in traffic crashes in Tennessee roadways during this year’s 96-hour Memorial Day holiday period. This is a drop from the 19 fatalities that occurred during the 2011 Memorial Day holiday weekend and the same number of deaths as 2010.
There were 10 crashes that resulted in 13 fatalities. Six crashes were single vehicle wrecks, while four of them were multiple car crashes. Ten of the people killed were vehicle occupants and three were motorcyclists. Five of the ten (50 percent) vehicle occupants killed were not wearing safety restraints.
In 1973, 26 people were killed in traffic crashes in Tennessee during the 78-hour Memorial Day holiday period, the highest number of deaths on record. The lowest number of deaths occurred when five people were killed in traffic crashes during the 2002 Memorial Day 78-hour period.
During this year’s Memorial Day enforcement period, the THP made 94 impaired driving arrests statewide. They also issued 1,139 seat belt and child restraint device citations, 1,500 speeding and 511 registration violations.
As of May 31, 2012, there have been 397 people killed on Tennessee roadways, 26 more fatalities compared to this same time last year. The last two months have shown a decrease in vehicular deaths compared to the same months in 2011, with 21 and 10 fewer fatalities in April and May, respectively.