Motorists in Memphis are likely familiar with the “Click it or Ticket” campaigns run by safety authorities each year. The goal is to create awareness of the importance of wearing seat belts. Authorities expressed concern over the sharp rise in fatalities indicated by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The total number of Shelby County auto accident deaths for 2019 was 85. So far this year, 134 lives have been lost in fatal wrecks.
Further statistics show that 55 of the 134 deceased crash victims were found to have been without secured seat belts. Additional details indicate that it was impossible to determine whether 33 of the remaining 74 deaths used their seat belts. According to the Memphis Police Department, law enforcement will be ramped up in the Mid-South for the remainder of the campaign, which will run until November 29.
Police say issuing tickets for those who drive without secured seat belts would hopefully educate and encourage motorists to use them to save lives. A spokesperson for the Memphis Police Traffic Office claims the failure to wear seat belts is only a part of the problem. He says excessive speed also causes fatal accidents. During this enforcement program, 45 citations were issued by one detail, 30 of which were for failure to wear seat belts.
Further information indicates an upward trend in auto accident fatalities across Tennessee. In comparison to the 989 auto accident deaths in the state in 2019, 1,054 lives have already been lost so far this year. Sadly, speeding or otherwise negligent drivers cause many deaths in Memphis and the rest of the state. Surviving family members of those who lost their lives in such circumstances might have grounds to pursue financial relief by filing wrongful death lawsuits.
