Each year, every state starts out with a clean slate. All the tallies that count the unsavory acts that human beings are capable of doing to each other are dialed back to zero. The hope is that the new year will bring a better result in all the bad categories and a better result in the good categories. Tennessee has released its preliminary traffic statistics for 2013 and authorities were pleased to report that traffic-related drunk driving incidents were down.

Breaking it down, there were 211 people killed in alcohol-related crashes, compared with 250 in the previous year. In addition, arrests for drunk driving were up. From 2010 to 2013, authorities arrested just over 90 percent more drivers for driving under the influence.

The goal, of course, would be for the fatalities to be zero. Knowing that when humans are involved, that is not a likely possibility, authorities are focused on cutting down on the number of impaired drivers on the road who can cause harm to both themselves and others. Considering that 2013 was the fourth time in 50 years that fewer than one thousand lives had been lost on the roads, authorities appear to be in good shape for starting out 2014.

In the event that a Tennessee resident is hurt by someone who was drunk driving, the law provides protection for them. They may be able to seek financial restitution for medical bills, rehabilitation costs and lost wages. In addition, if the resident missed work while they were recuperating, they may also seek compensation for lost wages.

Source: wgnsradio.com, Slight Decrease of 2.7% in Tennessee Traffic Fatalities for 2013 on Murfreesboro News and Radio, No author, Jan. 6, 2014