NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will deliver the “Between the Barrels” presentation to 500 high school students at Springfield High School in Robertson County, Tuesday, March 3, 2009. The safe driving program is geared to students who are just learning to drive to reduce the chances of being involved in a dangerous work zone crash.
As part of the presentation, Alicia Larkins, widow of late Trooper Todd Larkins, who was struck and killed, July 8, 2005, by a tractor trailer while working along I-40 in Dickson County, will speak to the students. Also addressing the students will be Trooper Rodney Redmon, who narrowly escaped serious injury when struck by the driver of a vehicle who failed to move over, June 12, 2005. THP Captain Thomas Miller, Lt. Tony Barham and Sgt. Harold Gooding will stress teen driver safety and the importance of the Move Over Law to encourage young drivers to move over or slow down when passing emergency vehicles on the roadway.
WHO: TDOT, THP Safety Education
WHAT: “Between the Barrels” Presentation
WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 3, 2009
WHERE: Springfield High School, Robertson County
During the 2008-09 academic year, the TDOT “Between the Barrels” program has reached more than 30-thousand students in more than 40 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 are a four times greater risk for crashes than older adults and are involved in 15 percent of fatal crashes, but make up 6.7% of the total driving population. In 2007, 166 Tennessee teenagers were killed in motor vehicle crashes. In 2008, preliminary statistics indicate a significant decline in teen fatalities to 112 teenagers (ages 13 to 19) who lost their lives on Tennessee roadways last year.
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.