Tennessee Works to Save Lives During National Teen Driver Safety Week

 

NASHVILLE – In 2008, 125 families buried a teenager following a crash on a Tennessee roadway. October 18-24 is National Teen Driver Safety Week and the Governor’s Highway Safety Office is working to save the lives of teens by asking Tennesseans to step up and talk to teens about important issues like wearing a safety belt, avoiding distracted driving and discouraging underage drinking. 

 

“Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in America and it is up to all of us to work to reverse this trend,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “TDOT and the Governor’s Highway Safety Office are out in schools talking to teens about safe driving practices and these efforts are working and saving lives, but we need parents and friends to do their part and talk with teens about safety behind the wheel.”

 

In 2006, 185 teens died on Tennessee roadways. In 2007, that number was reduced to 168 and dropped to 125 in 2008. Still, mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. 

 

Several initiatives have been forged to battle these senseless losses. Between the Barrels, Thinkfast® Alcohol Awareness Interactive Game Show, theTennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association’s (TSSAA)DUI Highway Safety Education Team presentations, the Blake McMeans’ Alive to Tell the Story, the Ford Motor Company Fund’s Driving Skills for Life, and an annual Lead and Live Youth Conference are all projects conducted in Tennessee to educate teens.

 

TDOT’s Between the Barrels delivers a powerful message about the importance of safe driving, especially in highway work zones, to thousands of Tennessee high school students each year. Thinkfast® combats underage drinking and drug abuse through hundreds of events annually for high school and college students. TSSAA’s Stephen Bargatze uses magic to get the attention of the students and discuss highway safety issues with them, while Blake McMeans travels the state sharing his story with high school and college students about how drinking and driving changed his life forever. Ford’s Driving Skills for Life teaches newly licensed teens about hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed management and space management and the Lead and Live Youth Conference is held annually to focus on numerous driver safety issues.

 

“It is the mission of the Governor’s Highway Safety Office to keep families safe on Tennessee’s roadways,” said Director Kendell Poole, GHSO. “It’s a big job and it’s going to take the entire community – parents, teachers, neighbors, friends and teens themselves – working together to drive the message home to ensure the health and safety of all Tennessee teens.”

 

Teens should avoid alcohol and parents should never promote underage drinking. Underage drinking is against the law and comes with adult consequences. Teens also need to remember whether driving across town or just around the corner, wearing a seat belt is the best protection from severe injury or even death in the event of a traffic crash. It’s also the law in Tennessee. Wearing a seat belt costs nothing, but not wearing one can cost a life. Also, TDOT reminds teens and all drivers that distracted driving, like texting while driving, is a dangerous practice. Texting may be a convenient way to communicate but it can be deadly when done from behind the wheel of a vehicle. Texting while driving is also against the law in Tennessee. 

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