TDOT & TDOS Partner to Keep Teens “Between the Barrels” at Southwind High School in Memphis

NASHVILLE- The Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will deliver the “Between the Barrels” presentation to 400 high school students at Southwind High School, Thursday, November 19, 2009. The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Reaching teens with this safe driving message will not only help keep safety in the front of their minds as they travel, but TDOT and the THP hope teens will also remind their parents about the importance of safe driving when traveling. The goal of the Between the Barrels program, which is geared to students who are just learning to drive, is to save lives and help reduce the chances of a teen driver being involved in a dangerous work zone crash.

 

 

WHO:              TDOT and Tennessee Highway Patrol

 

WHAT:           “Between the Barrels” Presentation

 

WHEN:           12:30 p.m.., Thursday, November 19, 2009

 

WHERE:         Southwind High School, 7900 E. Shelby Drive, Memphis, TN

 

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. As of Aug 11, 2009, preliminary statistics indicate 49 teenagers have been killed on Tennessee roadways compared to 66 at this same time a year ago.

 

For more information on Teen Driver Safety visit http://state.tn.us/safety/pubsafety/teendriversafety.html.

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