MEMPHIS, TN – September 03, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
This report, distributed by The Gold Law Firm, examines year-end state data showing Tennessee traffic fatalities declined significantly in 2025, with Memphis and Shelby County driving much of the statewide improvement.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security reported 1,045 traffic fatalities statewide in 2025, down from 1,194 in 2024, a decline the department characterized as roughly 14 percent. State officials specifically credited Memphis and Shelby County as the primary drivers of that improvement.
Memphis, covered by Tennessee Highway Patrol District 4, recorded the largest district-level improvement in the state. Fatalities in the district fell from 259 in 2024 to 169 in 2025, a reduction of 90 deaths, according to the department’s year-end release. Officials pointed to the work of the Memphis Safe Task Force and the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Bluff City Task Force as contributing factors.
“Fewer fatalities mean fewer families experiencing unimaginable loss, and that matters,” Tennessee Safety Commissioner Jeff Long said in the department’s year-end announcement. “Our department works every day to do everything in its power to prevent crashes and reduce traffic fatalities across Tennessee, and we will not let up on that mission.”
Col. Matt Perry, commander of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, said troopers remain focused on the behaviors most associated with serious crashes. “Enforcement, education and visibility matter, and we will continue working to slow drivers down, curb impaired driving and reinforce seat belt use across the state,” Perry said.
The statewide improvement was not uniform across all districts. While Memphis posted the largest decline, the Nashville district recorded a decline from 268 to 255 fatalities and the Knoxville district fell from 170 to 144, while the Chattanooga district saw a slight increase, from 124 to 128 fatalities, and the Jackson district rose from 88 to 97, with the department noting that increases were concentrated in rural areas even as urban fatalities declined within that same district.
Despite the drop in fatalities, crash volume in Shelby County remains substantial. The county recorded more than 27,000 crashes in 2025, according to preliminary data from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s TITAN crash records system. That figure represents a decline of roughly 29 percent from the 38,251 crashes recorded in the county in 2021.
Fall months have historically been among the most dangerous for Tennessee drivers, with October and November consistently ranking among the highest-crash months statewide in recent years, according to the same TITAN data, a pattern officials have attributed in part to shorter daylight hours and holiday travel.
Tennessee follows a modified comparative fault rule for personal injury claims arising from vehicle collisions. Under this system, an injured driver found to be 50 percent or more at fault for a crash cannot recover damages, and any recovery for a driver found partially at fault is reduced in proportion to their assigned share of fault. Tennessee law generally allows one year from the date of an accident to file a personal injury claim, a shorter window than the statute of limitations applied in many other states.
The traffic safety data referenced in this release was compiled by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The figures are presented for general public awareness and are subject to revision as final crash reports are processed.
The Gold Law Firm represents car accident victims in Memphis and throughout the greater Memphis area.
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