Nashville, Tennessee --- Be alert! Slow down! Be safe in the school zone! That's the message to drivers and students from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP). Today, the THP launched a massive year-long enforcement effort aimed at keeping children safe as they travel to and from school. Hundreds of State Troopers will be watching school zones and buses, both from the air and on the ground, in an effort to crack down on motorists who disregard laws designed to protect children.

"Keeping our children safe -- both at home and at school -- is key to their growth and development," said Governor Phil Bredesen. "That's why I am very pleased to see the Highway Patrol partnering with local schools and law enforcement agencies to help ensure Tennessee children get to and from school safely."

The Tennessee Highway Patrol will dedicate approximately 850 work hours to school transport safety this August. Every State Trooper, including the Colonel, Lt. Colonels, Majors and Captains, will work one school zone or school bus each week. That's an additional 105 Troopers devoted to safe schools each week and nearly 850 Troopers actively enforcing school zone laws throughout August.

"The THP's school zone enforcement effort is the first of its kind for this agency," said Interim Department of Safety Commissioner Gerald Nicely. "The goal is to protect Tennessee children from drivers who may be distracted, impatient or careless. That's why you'll see more State Troopers around school buses, at bus stops and in school zones, writing tickets to drivers who break the law."

The enforcement effort was launched Friday with five news conferences across the state. Education partners for the kick-off were Metro Nashville Public Schools, Shelby County Schools, Blount County Schools, Hamilton County Schools and Kingsport City Schools . Medical and Safe Kids partners for the events were the Monroe Carell, Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, LeBonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis, the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga and the Tennessee Child Passenger Safety Center at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City.

"A school zone isn't just the 15-mile per hour area around a school. It's anywhere our children travel," stated Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Mike Walker. "In Tennessee , it's against the law to pass a school bus with its red lights flashing--no exception. If you do it and get caught, you will get a ticket. If you do it and kill or severely injure a child, you will have to live with that for the rest of your life."

Each year, 24 million children in the United States ride school buses, including 600,000 in Tennessee , according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The National Safety Council (NSC) reports approximately 26 students were killed and another 9,000 were injured in incidents involving school buses last year. Most of the deaths and injuries occurred as the children were entering or exiting a bus.

"This effort doesn't just pertain to school zones and school buses," Colonel Walker said. "Children riding with parents or friends need to remember to buckle up properly. That means older kids in seat belts, younger kids in booster seats and little kids in child safety seats."

Close to 600 children are killed annually and many more injured going to and from school in a vehicle other than a school bus, according to the NSC. Safety belts are the best form of protection passengers have in the event of a crash. They can lower the risk of injury by 45%.

For more facts, figures & safety tips, please see the Fact Sheet available on our website at the following address: http://www.tennessee.gov/safety/newsreleases/backtoschool06facts.htm.

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is (www.tennessee.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.