Transportation Center

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	Training & Technology Transfer Tennessee Highway Safety and Education Awareness Program

The purpose of this program is to address the need for continuing the ongoing information, education, and awareness programs in the State of Tennessee. Such factors as speeding, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and not wearing safety belts account for a large percentage of the fatalities occurring on the streets and highways of Tennessee. Speed and DUI combined are a major contributing factor in over 50% of all Tennessee highway fatalities.

Throughout the year more than 1 million pieces of public information and educational materials were distributed statewide through the triple jeopardy/safe and sober committee and health educators. Six hundred billboards were produced and posted aimed at occupant protection, DUI, and speeding. Three hundred more will be posted statewide in 1996. The 10th annual Lifesaver Conference was held with more than 265 highway safety professionals attending.

Through this program standardized field sobriety testing training continues to be a very important activity. There are more than 350 trained DUI instructors in Tennessee, with more than 7,000 law enforcement officers receiving the S.F.S.T. training that they can use in the field. Alcohol related fatalities are down below 40%, which is less than the national average.

Tennessee is now showing about a 65% usage rate of safety belts--slightly less than the national average but much better than the 47% usage rate less than 5 years ago. Much of this success can be attributed to much hard work by a lot of agencies and individuals across the state.

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