Final answer:
Fatal traffic accidents in Tennessee are often the result of speeding, following too closely, or turning into the wrong lane. Statistical analysis can verify if the AAA's claim that 54% of fatal accidents are due to driver error is accurate. Trends and personal behaviors also have significant effects on traffic accident rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
A major cause of fatal traffic accidents in Tennessee could be a variety of factors such as speeding, following too closely, or turning into the wrong lane. To determine if the American Automobile Association's estimate that 54 percent of all fatal auto accidents are caused by driver error is accurate, one could perform a hypothesis test using the data from 30 randomly selected fatal accidents, where 14 were attributed to driver error. At an alpha level (
Historical data from reports, such as those in Table 1.19 showing motor vehicle traffic crashes from 1994-2011, can provide insight into trends over time. The increasing frequency of accidents at specific intersections could also be a compelling argument for the installation of additional safety measures, like traffic signals, especially if accidents occur several times a month and have resulted in loss of life.
Personal driving habits and external factors, like those described in the vignette involving Peter and the concentration of vehicles on freeways, also contribute to the rate and severity of accidents. The rate of fatal accidents has changed over the years, too, with more recent concerns overshadowing those of the past, like the rise in accidental deaths due to drug overdoses surpassing those from car crashes.