FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
01/25/2013
CONTACT:
Lt. Wayne Schoenheit
Robertson County Sheriff’s Office
507 South Brown Street
Springfield, TN 37172
Robertson County Sheriff’s Office- Saving Lives
This Winter with More Cops. More Stops. Enforcement Blitz
Robertson County, Tenn. – Robertson County Sheriff’s Office will once again be out in force on local roadways this winter cracking down on seat belt violators, drunk drivers, those who speed and those who drive distracted.
It is all part of a special, “More Cops. More Stops,” enforcement blitz which will run January 25 through February 3, 2013.
More than 700 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in Tennessee motor vehicle crashes during 2011 and 57 percent were NOT wearing seat belts at the time of the fatal crashes.
Alcohol and speeding were also deadly. In 2011, 27 percent of Tennessee’s fatalities involved drivers or motorcycle operators with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, and 23 percent of all Tennesseans killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes were involved in a speed-related crash.
“While you may think this nightmare could never happen to you, the fact remains that failure to wear a seat belt, drunk driving, speeding, and distracted driving are killing Tennesseans every single day,” said Sheriff Bill Holt. “So we’re going to be out in force cracking down on those who break our laws with a special, “More Cops. More Stops,” enforcement blitz to send the public a strong reminder to drive safely and to save more lives on Tennessee roadways.”
Teens and young adults across the country continue to be among those most at risk due to risky behaviors. Research and fatal crash statistics show that young adult males, ages 18 to 34, are the most likely to practice high-risk behaviors while driving, such as drinking and driving, and not wearing seat belts.
Among the 18 to 34 year-old Tennesseans who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2011, 68 percent were NOT wearing their seat belts; 35 percent were involved in a drunk driving crash; and 32 percent were involved in a speeding-related crash.
Nighttime passenger vehicle occupants of all ages are also among those least likely to buckle up and most likely to die in crashes when unrestrained. In 2011, 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants in the U.S. were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes at night (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.). Of those killed in nighttime crashes, 62 percent were NOT wearing seat belts (compared to 43 percent of occupants killed during daytime hours of 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.).
In 2012 Robertson County, TN had 6 unbelted passenger vehicle occupants die at night during traffic accidents.
“The statistics are alarming. Not wearing your seat belt, driving drunk, texting while driving, and speeding claim far too many lives in Tennessee, so all violators we catch will be stopped, ticketed or arrested,” said Sheriff Bill Holt. “Our goal is to save lives, so we will be out in force.”
Tennessee law enforcement is teaming with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on this important demonstration project testing the effectiveness of a combined enforcement crackdown.
This special, “More Cops. More Stops,” enforcement campaign is designed to boost awareness among Tennesseans about the importance to think before acting carelessly and endangering themselves and those around them on our roadways.
For more information on the More Cops. More Stops campaign, please visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov