116 CRASHES IN
TENNESSEE
SEPTEMBER 2023

The peak day for fatal crashes shifted from Saturday with 25 fatal crashes in the prior period to Friday with 23 fatal crashes in the current period. The peak hour also changed, moving from 4 PM with 12 fatal crashes in September 2022 to 7 PM with 13 fatal crashes in September 2023. This suggests a shift in when fatal crashes are most concentrated.

Clear weather remained the dominant condition for fatal crashes, accounting for 103 fatal crashes in the current period, down from 116 in the prior period. Fatal crashes occurring in rainy conditions decreased from 5 to 2 year-over-year, while fog conditions, not reported in the prior period, contributed to 4 fatal crashes in the current period. Regarding lighting, daylight fatal crashes decreased from 63 to 50, while fatal crashes in dark-not lighted conditions remained stable at 31 for both periods.

Among the top vehicle makes involved in fatal crashes, Chevrolet saw a decrease from 30 in the prior period to 17 in the current period. Nissan/Datsun and Toyota both increased from 13 vehicles in the prior period to 15 vehicles in the current period. Harley-Davidson motorcycles also saw a slight decrease from 13 to 12 vehicles involved in fatal crashes.

The highest number of fatal crashes occurred in the 55 mph speed zone, with 31 fatal crashes in the current period, a decrease from 33 in the prior period. Fatal crashes in the 45 mph zone also decreased from 31 to 29. Conversely, fatal crashes in the 30 mph zone increased from 6 in the prior period to 12 in the current period, representing a doubling in this speed category.

The dominant manner of fatal collision for both periods was 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport,' accounting for 73 fatal crashes (62.9%) in the current period, down from 77 fatal crashes (58.8%) in the prior period. Angle collisions decreased from 26 fatal crashes to 22, while Front-to-Front collisions slightly increased from 15 to 16 fatal crashes.

The leading vehicle body type involved in fatal crashes was the 4-door sedan, remaining stable at 49 vehicles for both periods. Light pickup trucks saw a significant decrease from 41 vehicles in the prior period to 21 in the current period. Two-wheel motorcycles also decreased from 23 to 20 vehicles involved in fatal crashes year-over-year.

Fatal crashes in urban areas slightly decreased from 74 in the prior period to 73 in the current period. Rural fatal crashes saw a more substantial decrease, falling from 57 in the prior period to 43 in the current period. In the current period, rural areas accounted for 37.1% of fatal crashes, down from 43.5% in the prior period, highlighting a continued, albeit reduced, disproportionate share of fatalities in rural settings.

In the current period, Minor Arterial roads accounted for the most fatal crashes with 35, a slight decrease from 37 in the prior period. Principal Arterial roads (Other Principal Arterial in current, Principal Arterial - Other in prior) saw a decrease from 47 fatal crashes to 33. Conversely, fatal crashes on Local roads increased from 11 in the prior period to 17 in the current period.

State Highway Agencies continued to oversee the highest number of fatal crashes, with 76 in the current period, a decrease from 93 in the prior period. City or Municipal Highway Agencies saw a decrease from 24 to 18 fatal crashes. County Highway Agencies, however, experienced an increase in fatal crashes from 14 in the prior period to 20 in the current period.

Drivers were the most frequently involved person type in fatal crashes, decreasing from 201 in the prior period to 172 in the current period. Passengers also saw a decrease from 84 to 58. Pedestrians involved in fatal crashes decreased from 28 to 22, while bicyclists decreased from 4 to 3.

The number of fatal injuries (K) decreased from 144 in the prior period to 127 in the current period. Persons with no injuries (O) also decreased from 86 to 58. The number of serious (A) and minor (B) injuries remained stable at 25 for both periods, while possible (C) injuries decreased from 29 to 17.

The use of 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' decreased from 162 persons in the prior period to 133 persons in the current period. The number of persons recorded with 'None Used/Not Applicable' safety equipment also decreased from 87 to 64. This indicates a general reduction across both categories of safety equipment usage among those involved in fatal crashes.

The '12 Clock Point' (front) remained the dominant area of impact in fatal crashes, though it decreased from 114 instances in the prior period to 98 in the current period. Impacts at the '3 Clock Point' (right side) saw a decrease from 13 to 6. Conversely, impacts at the '1 Clock Point' increased from 13 to 15, and at the '9 Clock Point' (left side) from 5 to 7.

Single-vehicle fatal crashes remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 68 in the prior period to 67 in the current period. Two-vehicle fatal crashes saw a notable decrease from 51 to 38. Fatal crashes involving three vehicles increased from 8 to 9, while those with four vehicles decreased from 3 to 2.