Chattanooga police are asking area drivers to slow down in response to an uptick in traffic fatalities.
Seven people have died in vehicle collisions in Chattanooga this year, compared to two by this time last year and six deaths in the first two months of 2020.
The police department invited the media to a Tuesday morning news conference to highlight the spike in fatalities in the city and to ask drivers to ease up on their gas pedals.
“Over the last year or so, we have noticed an upward trend,” spokesperson Jeremy Eames said at the Police Services Center on Amnicola Highway. “There are a number of reasons … why traffic crashes happen and why they increase, but our fatal crashes are very often impacted by speed and by the aggressiveness of drivers on our roadways.”
Smart City, part of The Enterprise Center’s Chattanooga Smart Community Collaborative, has compiled data to predict hot spots for traffic accidents and has developed initiatives to advance more options for accessible public transit. Every traffic fatality this year can be attributed in some way to speeding, according to Smart City’s findings.