TDOT Brings “Between the Barrels” to Greeneville High School

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Department of Transportation is working to keep teen drivers safe and will travel to Greeneville High School, Tuesday, August 17 to present “Between the Barrels,” to two groups of Greeneville High students. In total, 100 students will participate in the interactive safe driving program geared toward teens 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. 

 

WHO:              TDOT Between the Barrels presenters

WHAT:           “Between the Barrels” Presentation

WHEN:           7:40 a.m. and 2:40 p.m.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

WHERE:         Greeneville High School, Greene County

During the 2008-09 academic year, the successful TDOT “Between the Barrels” program 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 2008, 66 teens died in traffic crashes in Tennessee, down from 106 in 2007. Preliminary numbers show 52 teen deaths in traffic crashes in 2009. Already, at least 45 teens have died in traffic crashes in the first half of 2010. One of those deaths was reported in Greene County.

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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