Published: 8/3/2022


TENNESSEE ROADS ARE ABOUT TO GET MORE CROWDED - AND HAZARDOUS - AS MILLIONS OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS RETURN TO SCHOOL. THIS TIME OF YEAR IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF YOUNG INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS, PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS WHO WILL ALL SHARE THE ROAD IN THE EARLY MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. ACCORDING TO A NEW SURVEY OF TENNESSEE DRIVERS, ABOUT 34% ADMITTED TO SPEEDING IN AN ACTIVE SCHOOL ZONE, AND 26% ADMITTED TO USING THEIR HAND-HELD CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING IN ACTIVE SCHOOL ZONES.SOME TIPS FOR SAFETY: SLOW DOWN. SPEED LIMITS IN SCHOOL ZONES ARE REDUCED FOR A REASON. A PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY A VEHICLE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH IS NEARLY TWO-THIRDS LESS LIKELY TO BE KILLED COMPARED TO A PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY A VEHICLE TRAVELING JUST 10 MPH FASTER. COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT ANY CROSSWALKS OR STOP SIGNS - CHECKING CAREFULLY FOR CHILDREN ON SIDEWALKS AND IN CROSSWALKS BEFORE PROCEEDING. ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS. SHARE THE ROAD WITH BICYCLISTS. TALK TO YOUR TEEN. CAR CRASHES ARE ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH FOR TEENS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND NEARLY ONE IN FOUR FATAL CRASHES INVOLVING TEEN DRIVERS OCCURS DURING THE AFTER-SCHOOL HOURS OF 3 P.M. TO 7 P.M. REMEMBER THAT SCHOOL BUS LAWS REQUIRE ALL TRAFFIC TO STOP UPON FLASHING LIGHTS AND RAISED STOP SIGN. A RECENTLY ENACTED LAW IN TENNESSEE INCREASES THE MAXIMUM FINE FROM $50 TO $200 FOR FIRST-TIME VIOLATORS CAUGHT BY SCHOOL BUS CAMERAS NOT STOPPING WHEN THE SCHOOL BUS IS LOADING AND UNLOADING CHILDREN.