Tennessee has found itself nineteenth on a list of the worst states for drunk driving, according to data analyzed by backgroundchecks.org and released in March 2017. Tennessee is one of the top 20 DUI States.
The Volunteer State had a DUI death rate (per 100,000) of 3.79 and 23,150 DUI arrests. First on the list was Wyoming, followed by:
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- South Carolina
- Mississippi
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Wisconsin
- North Carolina
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Oklahoma
“To create a ranking of states, we took a combination of deaths directly attributable to DUIs, DUI arrests per 100,000 people, and drinking too much before driving, as reported by drivers themselves,” backgroundchecks.org said in its release of the data. “We then created a weighted formula.”
The original data used to create the weighted formula came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. BackgroundChecks.org focuses on public safety, online privacy, home security and open government, and it regularly gathers new data and research on issues affecting public welfare.
Take Note: If you have lost your license and need to work on driver’s license restoration, browse through the attorney directories on www.Drunkdrivingattorneys.com or www.DriversLicenseRestorers.com. Pick an attorney experienced and knowledgeable in the driver’s license appeal (restoration) process in your state. If you need to get treatment to help make a case for restoring your license, there are treatment center directories on both sites. If you need information about points on your driving record, check your state department of motor vehicles. In Tennessee, go here. Helping yourself is always the first step in having your DUI attorney help you.
A factor in Tennessee making the backgroundchecks.org list very well could be the state’s lack of resources to monitor and enforce driving and DUI laws.
In Memphis, the second-largest city in the state, police shortages are potentially impacting how cases are being handled and investigated, a problem also being seen in departments across the nation. A recent news article highlighted the fact that the city police department was down 500 officers.
“We’re just trying to hold the department together. The citizens deserve more than just holding it together. They need qualified people filling the positions on the books,” Mike Williams, the police union president, said in the article.
The bottom line, Williams said citizens aren’t getting what they are paying for and they should.
“Departments are struggling to find not only interested, but interested and qualified, candidates to join the force,” Jim Burch, vice president of the Police Foundation, said in a recent NBC News report. “With everything happening around policing from salary to criticism, the question many people are asking is ‘is it worth it?’”
Information on Tennessee’s DUI laws can be found here. And, even more information on DUI laws across the nation can be found here.
Nashville, the state’s largest city and the home of country music, is reportedly the worst location in the state for drinking-related issues, according to an online article in 24/7 Wall St.
At the time of the article, 13.5 percent of adults reported binge or heavy drinking, compared to 11.6 percent of adults in the state as a whole. The percentage of alcohol-related driving deaths was 26.3.
“The fact that over 10,000 people a year die from DUI-related accidents is a travesty,” Trent Wilson, co-author of the backgroundchecks.org research, was quoted as saying. In addition to those killed, some 200,000 sustain injuries as a direct result of someone driving under the influence, the organization notes.
“We hope this research will open some eyes and make people think twice before drinking and driving,” Wilson said.
