TDOT & Carroll County Sheriff’s Department Partner to Keep Teens “Between the Barrels” at Clarksburg High School

NASHVILLE- The Tennessee Department of Transportation will travel to Clarksburg High School, Thursday, October 22 to present “Between the Barrels” to 150 students as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week. “Between the Barrels” is an interactive safe driving program geared toward teen students just learning to drive. The goal of the program is to save lives by educating teens on the importance of always practicing safe driving habits, especially in highway work zones. TDOT will be joined by representatives from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department.

 

WHO:              TDOT, Carroll County Sheriff’s Department

 

WHAT:           “Between the Barrels” Presentation

 

WHEN:           9:00 a.m., Thursday, October 22, 2009

 

WHERE:         Clarksburg High School, Carroll County

 

During the 2008-09 academic year, the successful TDOT “Between the Barrels” program has reached students in more than 90 schools with the compelling visual message—“When it comes to driving, there’s no such thing as beginner’s luck.”

 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are the leading cause of fatalities among teens in the United States. Nationally, teen drivers (ages 13-19) are at a four times greater risk for crashes than older adults and are involved in 15 percent of fatal crashes, but make up 6.7 percent of the total driving population. In 2007, there were 188 teen drivers involved in 178 fatal crashes in Tennessee resulting in 192 deaths. In 2008, this figure decreased to 137 teen drivers involved in 132 fatal crashes resulting in 149 deaths. In 2008, preliminary statistics indicate a 32 percent decline in teen fatalities from 166 in 2007 to113 teenagers who lost their lives on Tennessee roadways last year. 

 

For more information on Teen Driver Safety visit www.tn.gov/safety/pubsafety/teendriversafety.html.

 

For more information on the Between the Barrels program visit www.tn.gov/tdot/wzsafety.

 

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