 ’100 Days of Summer Heat’ hopes to reduce traffic fatalities
By Carole Robinson, Staff Writer
crobinson@williamsonherald.com
In March 2005, a Giles County resident was killed on I-65 while sending a text on his cell phone while driving. He was the first person to die in a texting related accident in the United States.
The new Tennessee law prohibiting reading, sending text messages on a cell phone or emailing on PDAs while driving took effect yesterday, the same day the Governor’s Highway Safety Office kicked off this year’s 100 Days of Summer Heat campaign to reduce traffic fatalities.
Saving lives and promoting safety on the highway are the objective of the campaign’s slogan, “Drive Drunk, Get Nailed,” which is highlighted by vehicles with a 10-foot nail driven through the hood of vehicles displayed in high visibility locations across Middle Tennessee Four vehicles will be on display in Franklin until at least Saturday according to the Tennessee Department of Safety. They can be seen behind the police station at the corner of Third Avenue and Church Street, PF Chang’s in Cool Springs, and at Franklin and Centennial High schools. Flashing message boards along the highway and television and radio commercials are also being used to get out the message.
“You can get nailed more than one way when you drink and drive,” said THP Col. Mike Walker during the campaign kickoff ceremony at the Franklin Police Department Wednesday morning. “Forty people die every day [nationwide] in alcohol or drug related crashes. It’s time people understand; you can get nailed and go to jail and you can get nailed in a box, too.”
In the past two years there has been a 20 percent reduction in highway fatalities, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and hey believe campaigns like this are part of the reason. In 2008, the state marked the lowest number of fatalities since 1963 and to date in 2009, there are 70 fewer fatalities than last year at this time.
“That’s a huge victory for us,” said Kendall Poole, director of the GHSO. “Everybody across the nation is looking at Tennessee and asking, ‘What are you doing? What’s going on?’”
It’s about partnerships between the GHSO, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Franklin Police Department, Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, law enforcement agencies across the state and AAA Clubs of Tennessee, Poole said.
With such a successful program, “We are striking while the iron’s hot with a campaign to try to change driver behavior,” Poole said.
It’s no coincidence the campaign kick-off is on the heels of the upcoming Fourth of July weekend; it is one of the deadliest holidays in Tennessee. Last year there were 10 fatal crashes resulting in 11 deaths during the 78-hour holiday period – none were in Williamson County. Three of the fatalities were alcohol related and six of the 11 persons who were killed were not wearing their seat belt.
This weekend law enforcement will once again be looking for impaired drivers and checking for seat belt usage, which with 82 percent of the population buckling up, is at an all time high, said Poole.
Locally, members of the FPD and the WCSD will be spending the 100 days of summer heat saturating the streets and neighborhoods in Franklin and the county looking for impaired or reckless drivers. A grant through the GHSO provides overtime funds for officers and deputies to work extra hours patrolling and looking for impaired or reckless drivers, said Sgt. David Prather of the FPD.
“Our efforts are to try to get them off the street before they cause a crash,” Prather said.
Drivers are cautioned to watch for statewide sobriety and driver’s license check points and be aware of the law enforcement saturation programs.
“We want people to have fun this weekend, but think before you drink,” Poss said.
The WCSD will be working checkpoints in various locations around the county, according to Sgt. George Poss of the WCSD and district coordinator for the GHSO in Middle Tennessee.
“We will be out there looking for you,” Walker said. “We’ll nail you if you are caught drinking and driving. My prayer is you won’t get nailed into that box.”
To see the public service annoucement featuring Franklin Police officers, go to http://www.franklintn.gov/police/ and click on the link for "Turn Up the Heat."
Carole Robinson can be contacted at crobinson@williamsonherald.com
Posted on: 7/2/2009
|
