Tennessee ranked second most dangerous state for Fourth of July travel
THP reported eight deaths last Fourth of July weekend, with three being related to drivers under the influence.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -According to a AAA study, Tennessee is the most dangerous state to drive in on Fourth of July weekend, only behind Virginia.
Lieutenant Bill Miller with the Tennessee Highway Patrol said that last year the state saw eight deaths on the road over the holiday weekend, with three of them being caused by a driver being under the influence.
“The vehicle that you are driving is probably the most dangerous piece of equipment you will ever possess.” said Miller.
Miller said avoiding speeding, driving under the influence, and being on your phone when driving is imperative to staying safe. He also believed that a reason why Tennessee’s data is high is because of travelers from out of state were coming on unfamiliar roads to visit the scenic mountains.
“Many rural roads you have a white fog line to your right and once you cross that, there’s not much past that except a ditch,” said Miller.
Some travelers like Michelle Miller from Indiana saw some of the dangers on the road first hand, and did her best with a car full of kids to avoid an accident.
“I see these people weaving in and out to the left and the right, then getting right off the exit. Just chill out a little bit and understand we’re dealing with lives here. It’s not worth a couple extra minutes you’re saving. We’re dealing with lives.” said Miller.
AAA data said that nearly 50 million people will be on the road this weekend, with about one million being here in Tennessee.
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