It is illegal to drive without a seat belt. Tennessee participates in the Click It Or Ticket campaign designed to get more drivers to wear their seat belts. This is due to the fact that an already dangerous car accident can potentially be made lethal due to a lack of seat belts.

This may be the case with one recent fatal accident. The accident occurred on Tuesday morning and is still currently under investigation. Accident reports state that the vehicle in question ended up flipping about 7 times after making an overcorrection on the freeway. The truck reportedly began to shift to the left side of I-75 before it was overcorrected.

The driver of the truck, a 46 year old man, was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident. It was reported that he was ejected from the vehicle at some point, though it is not yet clear at what point in the accident the ejection occurred.

As the investigation is still underway, there is no solid proof to determine why the accident occurred or why it was fatal. However, it is a known statistic that wearing a seat belt cuts down on fatalities in the case of accidents, as it prevents those who wear it from being ejected during impact.

Reminding loved ones to buckle their seat belt is a way of showing care. Anyone who has dealt with a loved one being in an accident without a seat belt understands what a difference this one action can make.

Source: WBIR.com, “Man identified in fatal I-75 crash,” June 9, 2015

Accidents can have long-lasting impacts on a person’s life. This is especially true when it comes to the monetary consequences of the crash. Accidents can be a huge generator of financial stress, and that stress may seem to worsen over time. However, there are different ways that a person can ease their financial burden.

It is possible to recover from certain monetary loss through reimbursement in the case of an accident. The Department of Motorized Vehicles lists the different payments and fees that can be reimbursed after a crash. Some of these costs can include vehicular damage, property damage, or medical bills. The medical bills could be short term, but it is also possible to get reimbursement for any long term medical costs that may accumulate. A person may even get their deductible back after it has been paid, but they must first prove that they were not at fault for the accident. This is necessary for any type of reimbursement.

It is also a good idea to look at the potential costs that you may be facing after an accident. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration states that certain bills can be anticipated in the aftermath of a crash. These bills can include car repairs, medical tabs, insurance coverage, and temporary vehicular replacements. Going to court over the accident can also up the potential amount of money that will be lost. Additionally, missing work could cost a pretty penny. While not all of these costs can be combated, they highlight why it is important to combat what can be fought against.

The stress of monetary deals after an accident can be large. Reducing costs is one way to reduce stress as well. It will take strain off of a person’s mind and off of their wallet, which will be better for their health in the long term.

Many states, including Tennessee, are grappling with the issue of distracted driving. To combat distracted driving behaviors, legislators in multiple states have passed laws prohibiting the use of handheld cellphones while driving. It is likely that many of these legislators were acting on the presumption that hands-free phones and devices are safe. However, a recent report indicates that this may not be true.

The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that those who use hands-free devices while operating vehicles can still experience cognitive distraction while driving. This is a specific type of distraction which carries distinct safety concerns.

The AAA report explains that hands-free phone use is only slightly less distracting than handheld options. The study also notes that the worst cognitive distractions stem from speech-to-text systems.  Many may find this surprising, as such systems allow drivers to have both hands on their steering wheels and keep their eyes focused on the road.

A National Safety Council white paper, published in 2012, supports AAA’s findings. The NSC paper states that drivers who used cell phones—whether handheld or hands-free—quadrupled their chances of being in a car accident which produced property damage and personal injury. The NSC white paper attributed this increased risk to inattention blindness. Inattention blindness is a term used to describe drivers’ inabilities to process information about their driving environments, despite the fact that they are physically able to see the objects surrounding them. Common results of inattention blindness are lane deviations and slower reaction speeds.