FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Contact: Arriale Tabson
Office: 615-253-5152
Tennessee Highway Safety Office Promotes Walk to School Day to Increase Child Pedestrian Safety Skills
73 Pedestrians Were Killed in 2016, More Than 1,000 Pedestrian-Related Crashes Have Occurred
TENNESSEE – The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) celebrates the 20th Walk to School Day tomorrow, October 5, by promoting child pedestrian safety. This energizing event allows parents, teachers, and children to engage in physical outdoor activity while practicing vital pedestrian safety skills.
Thus far in 2016, more than 1,000 pedestrians were involved in Tennessee traffic crashes, and 73 pedestrians have been killed, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s TITAN Division. In an effort to prevent future injuries and fatalities, the THSO encourages parents, school administrators, and community leaders to participate in Walk to School Day to help children learn and exercise pedestrian safety skills.
The THSO offers valuable resources and educational tools at tntrafficsafety.org/bike-ped, including a new public service announcement regarding crosswalk myths and pedestrian safety tips: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUjogFMaFok.
To learn more, visit the Tennessee Safe Routes to School Program website at www.tn.gov/tdot/article/safe-routes or www.walkbiketoschool.org.
About the Tennessee Highway Safety Office:
The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is Tennessee's advocate for traffic safety. The 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 the THSO are 100 percent federally funded. The THSO’s mission is to effectively develop, implement, and evaluate these programs. To learn more about the THSO, please visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.
For more information, contact Arriale Tabson at 615-253-5152 or arriale.tabson@tn.gov.