FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 7, 2016
Contact: Arriale Tabson
Office: 615-253-5152
MEDIA ADVISORY
Tennessee Highway Safety Office Asks Drivers to Help Put the Brakes on Fatalities
756 Tennessee Traffic Fatalities Reported in 2016
TENNESSEE – On October 10, 2016, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO), Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), and local partners collaborate for the state’s first “Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day.” This nationwide awareness campaign encourages drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists to exercise caution and traffic safety to prevent crashes. 756 traffic fatalities have already occurred on Tennessee roadways, as of October 6, 2016, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s TITAN Division.
“We all need a break from the tragedy of losing loved ones in car crashes,” said Steve Dillard, East Tennessee Law Enforcement Liaison for the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. “Enforcement-wise, we’re doing everything we can to keep drunk drivers off the road, ensure everyone is belted, and teach traffic safety education. Now, we need support from our roadway users.”
Press event details are listed below. Learn more about “Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day” at brakesonfatalities.org.
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WHAT: |
“Tennessee Puts the Brakes on Fatalities Day” press event
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WHEN: |
Monday, October 6, 2016 at 12 p.m. ET
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WHERE: |
Tennessee Highway Patrol, District 1 - Knoxville Headquarters 7601 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
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SPEAKERS: |
Steve Dillard, East Tennessee Law Enforcement Liaison for THSO Colonel Tracey Trott, Tennessee Highway Patrol Chief David R. Rausch, Knoxville Police Department Stephanie Milani, Director of Public Affairs for AAA’s Auto Club Group |
About the Tennessee Highway Safety Office:
The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is Tennessee's advocate for traffic safety. THSO works in tandem with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to implement statewide programs addressing occupant protection, impaired driving, speed enforcement, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and crash data collection and analysis. Programs administered by THSO are 100 percent federally funded. THSO’s mission is to effectively develop, implement, and evaluate these programs. To learn more about THSO, please visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.