State Troopers Focus On Enforcement & Education In School Zones

Nashville, TN (2011-08-08) The Tennessee Highway Patrol will assist local law enforcement efforts with a “Back to School” enforcement and education campaign of their own, focusing on traffic safety in and around the school zones. State Troopers will target traffic violators, specifically those who speed in school zones and pass stopped school buses, as well as raise awareness on school safety in Tennessee.

“The ultimate goal of the Tennessee Highway Patrol is to protect children from motorists who disregard the law, especially around the school zones,” said Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons. “However, we must educate motorists, parents and children on the importance of safe pedestrian movement and accident prevention in order to ensure traffic safety. We all have a responsibility to make sure children travel to and from school safely.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2000 to 2009, 1,386 people died in school transportation-related crashes - an average of 139 fatalities per year. One hundred and thirty (130) school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in school transportation-related crashes during that same time period, and 56 (43 percent) school-age pedestrians killed in school transportation-related crashes were between five and seven years old. NHTSA states more school-age pedestrians are killed between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. than any other time of day.

“We are urging motorists to exercise caution, be alert and to slow down in school zones and around school buses,” said THP Colonel Tracy Trott. “Our state troopers will not hesitate to hand out citations, but that is not our objective. This enforcement campaign was designed to encourage everyone to practice safe driving and pedestrian habits.”

Drivers who are found distracted, impatient and careless can expect to face stiff penalties. The speed limit is 15 miles per hour in school zones and the fine for speeding in a school zone is up to $500. It is also against the law to pass a school bus when it is stopped and loading or unloading passengers. The driver can be fined no less than $250 and up to $1,000.

In 2010, State Troopers issued 3,186 citations in school zones. That’s down from 5,445 citations issued in 2009. Of the 2010 citations, 739 were speeding violations, while two citations were handed out for passing a stopped school bus. Since 2006, there has been a 21.0 percent decrease in the number of crashes occurring in school zones between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and the hours of 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. There was also a 20.3 percent decline in the number of school bus-related crashes between those same hours.

Each day, 26 million children in the United States ride school buses, including 600,000 in Tennessee, according to NHTSA. NHTSA reports approximately 21 students were killed while they were entering or exiting a bus in the U.S. last year. Close to 800 children are killed annually and many more injured going to and from school in a vehicle other than a school bus, according to the NSC.