TDOS Reminds Drivers to Buckle Up – Every Time, All the Time
Monday, May 18, 2009 | 06:53am
THP will be Looking for Unbuckled Drivers this Memorial Day Holiday and All Summer
NASHVILLE --- It only takes two seconds to buckle up. Two seconds that could literally save your life and also keep you from getting a ticket and a fine. The Tennessee Highway Patrol urges all drivers to buckle up every time, all the time, and State Troopers are joining forces with law enforcement officers across the state and country for the 2009 Click It or Ticket campaign. The initiative runs May 18, 2009, through May 31, 2009, and includes the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
“Memorial Day marks the beginning of the busy summer holiday travel season and is the perfect time to remind drivers that they and their passengers need to buckle up every time they get in a vehicle,” said Commissioner Dave Mitchell.
Preliminary figures show that 1,035 people were killed on Tennessee roadways in 2008. Of the 795 people killed in passenger vehicle crashes, more than half of them were not wearing seat belts.
“Wearing a seat belt costs you nothing, but not wearing it will,” stated THP Colonel Mike Walker. “So unless you have money to burn and want to risk a ticket, or worse, your life, buckle up day and night. Click It or Ticket isn’t just a slogan, it’s a promise.”
In 2007, more than 14,000 people in passenger vehicles died in crashes in the United States while unbelted. About half of these lives could have been saved if they had been wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. According to NHTSA, when worn correctly, seat belts have been proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent, and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans.
“Seat belts are the single most effective piece of safety equipment in a vehicle, but nearly one of out five people still fail to buckle up” added Colonel Walker. “Seat belts clearly save lives. Unfortunately, too many folks still need to be reminded of that, so we will be out in force, day and night, buckling down on those who do not buckle up.”
Thirteen people were killed on Tennessee roadways during the 2008 Memorial Day holiday weekend. That’s down from 21 fatalities in 2007. Last year, alcohol was involved in five of the fatal crashes, and 57 percent of the people killed in vehicles crashes were not wearing seat belts. During the 78-hour holiday time period, one pedestrian and five motorcyclists were killed.
The Click It or Ticket initiative runs through the Memorial Day holiday, and drivers can expect to see plenty of Troopers on the road enforcing seat belt laws and looking for aggressive and impaired drivers. More than 75 checkpoints are scheduled throughout the long holiday weekend in an effort to reduce fatalities and serious injury crashes in the state. The 2008 Memorial Day holiday period begins at 6:00 p.m., Friday May 22, and will end at 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 25, 2009. A list of the times and locations of scheduled checkpoints is below.
Also this Memorial Day holiday, the Department of Safety is launching its Traffic Fatality Victims’ Memorial. More than a thousand people die each year on Tennessee roadways, and this online memorial is designed to give family members of those killed on our highways an opportunity and place to memorialize and remember their loved ones. For more information regarding the TN Department of Safety Traffic Fatality Victims’ Memorial, please visit our website at http://www.tn.gov/safety/pubsafety/fatalitymemorial.html.
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s mission is (www.tn.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.
TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETYDRIVER LICENSE & SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTSDIST. 1 KNOXVILLEFriday, May 22:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT KNOX COUNTY STATE ROUTE 332 EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT MONROE COUNTY STATE ROUTE 68 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT ANDERSON COUNTY CARROLL HOLLOW ROAD AFTERNOONDL CHECKPOINT CAMPBELL COUNTY SOUTH 4TH STREET EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT SEVIER COUNTY STATE ROUTE 338 EVENINGSunday, May 24:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT BLOUNT COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 129 EVENINGMonday, May 25:DL CHECKPOINT MONROE COUNTY STATE ROUTE 322 AFTERNOONDIST. 2 CHATTANOOGAFriday, May 22:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT MEIGS COUNTY HIGHWAY 304 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT BRADLEY COUNTY STATE ROUTE 60 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT GRUNDY COUNTY HIGHWAY 56 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT HAMILTON COUNTY EAST 38TH STREET AFTERNOONSaturday, May 23:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT GRUNDY COUNTY HIGHWAY 56 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT GRUNDY COUNTY HIGHWAY 56 MORNINGSunday, May 24:SOBRETY CHECKPOINT HAMILTON COUNTY SUCK CREEK BOAT RAMP EVENINGMonday, May 25:SOBRETY CHECKPOINT SEQUATCHIE COUNTY HIGHWAY 28 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT BRADLEY COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 411 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT FRANKLIN COUNTY HIGHWAY 50 MORNINGDIST. 3 NASHVILLEFriday, May 22:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT HUMPHREYS COUNTY CLYDETON EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT SUMNER COUNTY HIGHWAY 31W MORNINGDL CHECKPOINT HOUSTON COUNTY HIGHWAY 49 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT RUTHERFORD COUNTY SULPHER SPRINGS ROAD AFTERNOONDL CHECKPOINT WILSON COUNTY HARTSVILLE PIKE EVENINGMonday, May 25:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT DICKSON COUNTY HIGHWAY 70 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT ROBERTSON COUNTY HIGHWAY 161 MORNINGDIST. 4 MEMPHISFriday, May 22:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT DYER COUNTY STATE ROUTE 210 EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT FAYETTE COUNTY STATE ROUTE 18 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT DYER COUNTY STATE ROUTE 78 AFTERNOONDL CHECKPOINT TIPTON COUNTY STATE ROUTE 14 EVENINGSaturday, May 23:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT SHELBY COUNTY STATE ROUTE 14 EVENINGSunday, May 24:DL CHECKPOINT HAYWOOD COUNTY STATE ROUTE 76 EVENINGMonday, May 25:DL CHECKPOINT HARDEMAN COUNTY STATE ROUTE 100 AFTERNOONDIST. 5 FALL BRANCHFriday, May 22:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT HAWKINS COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 11-W EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT JEFFERSON COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 11-E MORNINGDL CHECKPOINT COCKE COUNTY BIG CREEK ROAD EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT GREENE COUNTY STATE ROUTE 70 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT HAWKINS COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 11-W EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT JEFFERSON COUNTY STATE ROUTE 92 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT UNICOI COUNTY STATE ROUTE 107 MORNINGSaturday, May 23:DL CHECKPOINT GREENE COUNTY STATE ROUTE 93 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT HAWKINS COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 11-W EVENINGMonday, May 25:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT UNICOI COUNTY STATE ROUTE 81 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT JEFFERSON COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 25-E MORNINGDIST. 6 COOKEVILLEFriday, May 22:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT VAN BUREN COUNTY HIGHWAY 111 SOUTH EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT WARREN COUNTY HIGHWAY 288 EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT WARREN COUNTY YAGER ROAD EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT PUTNAM COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 70 MORNINGDL CHECKPOINT PUTNAM COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 62 AFTERNOONDL CHECKPOINT TROUSDALE COUNTY HIGHWAY 231 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT TROUSDALE COUNTY HIGHWAY 141 EVENINGSaturday, May 23:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT CUMBERLAND COUNTY HIGHWAY 70 EVENINGSunday, May 24:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT WHITE COUNTY HIGHWAY 70 MORNINGMonday, May 25:DL CHECKPOINT CLAY COUNTY HIGHWAY 53 MORNINGDL CHECKPOINT JACKSON COUNTY HIGHWAY 53 AFTERNOONDL CHECKPOINT WHITE COUNTY HIGHWAY 70 AFTERNOONDIST. 7 LAWRENCEBURGFriday, May 22:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT GILES COUNTY HIGHWAY 11 EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT GILES COUNTY HIGHWAY 31 EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT WAYNE COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 64 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT LEWIS COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 412 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT PERRY COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 412 AFTERNOONSaturday, May 23:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT WAYNE COUNTY STATE ROUTE 13 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT LEWIS COUNTY STATE ROUTE 48 MORNINGSunday, May 24:DL CHECKPOINT LEWIS COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 412 MORNINGDL CHECKPOINT WAYNE COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 64 EVENINGMonday, May 25:DL CHECKPOINT BEDFORD COUNTY HIGHWAY 82 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT LINCOLN COUNTY HIGHWAY 64 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT PERRY COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 412 AFTERNOONDL CHECKPOINT WAYNE COUNTY STATE ROUTE 13 AFTERNOONDIST. 8 JACKSONFriday, May 22:SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT CARROLL COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 79 EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT DECATUR COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 412 EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT GIBSON COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 45 EVENINGSOBRIETY CHECKPOINT HARDIN COUNTY HIGHWAY 226 EVENINGSOBREITY CHECKPOINT WEAKLEY COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 45 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT DECATUR COUNTY STATE ROUTE 69 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT HARDIN COUNTY HIGHWAY 57 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT HENRY COUNTY STATE ROUTE 77 EVENINGSaturday, May 23:DL CHECKPOINT CARROLL COUNTY STATE ROUTE 22 EVENINGMonday, May 25:DL CHECKPOINT CARROLL COUNTY U.S. HIGHWAY 79 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT HENRY COUNTY STATE ROUTE 54 EVENINGDL CHECKPOINT WEAKLEY COUNTY STATE ROUTE 54 AFTERNOON