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Efforts to Save Teen Lives Are Making a Difference
Posted Monday, February 1, at 4:45 PM
It can be one of the most frightening moments for a parent, watching your newly licensed teen drive away on their own for the first time. It remains a fact that nationwide, a teenager is killed or injured in a traffic crash every three days. Teen drivers have higher rates of fatal crash involvement than any other age group. Studies show teens are more likely to take risks, be distracted or be nervous while driving. That's why the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Governor's Highway Safety Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol and other partners are working to give teens the tools they need to become safer drivers.
In 2006, TDOT launched "Between the Barrels," our first ever teen safe driving program with a goal of saving lives through education. Each year, Between the Barrels representatives and Tennessee Highway Patrol Troopers travel to high schools across the state and talk with teens about making smart decisions behind the wheel and what can happen if they don't. More than 100,000 have participated in the program to date and teens themselves tell us the program is working. We've heard from students like Spencer Thomas Scott from Waverly Central High School who attended a Between the Barrels presentation and decided to begin wearing his seatbelt. Spencer clicked his belt into place and moments later, his car left the roadway and flipped several times. Spencer lived through the crash likely because he made the decision to wear his safety belt. He's just one of dozens of teens who've told us they are better drivers because of what they learned from our program.
The Department of Safety reports that preliminary statistics for 2009 indicate 48 teen drivers were killed on Tennessee roadways compared to 72 in 2008. Overall, 90 teenagers who were vehicle occupants were killed on Tennessee roadways in 2009 compared to 113 in 2008. During the past three years we've seen a 25% decrease in teen traffic fatalities overall. While these numbers are encouraging, we are still losing too many of our young people on Tennessee highways. We need to intensify our efforts with an ultimate goal of zero teen lives lost in traffic crashes.
In addition to supporting the Between the Barrels program the Governor's Highway Safety Office also supports teen driving programs like Think Fast, Ford Driving Skills for Life, presentations by Blake McMeans and TSSAA's The RIGHT TEAM, which spoke to more than 40,000 high school students in 2009.
As we head into the New Year, I encourage parents to talk to their teens about safe driving and to lead by example by practicing safe driving habits. TDOT, the THP and the Governor's Highway Safety Office will continue our efforts to save lives on Tennessee roadways this year. For more information on the Between the Barrels program or to book a presentation at your school visit www.tn.gov/tdot/wzsafety
New program works to identify and address potential rockfall sites The video of a Tennessee mountainside crashing down onto U.S. 64 in Polk County on November 10th was indeed spectacular and made national news. A rockslide that closed I-40 in North Carolina has also garnered its share of headlines and impacted thousands of motorists. With clean-up at both sites expected to take months, these events show the impact rockslides in mountainous areas can have on our transportation system, local economies and the commuters who rely on these routes...
TDOT adds to winter weather arsenal As Tennesseans enjoy the cooler temperatures and changing leaves of fall, TDOT Maintenance forces across the state are focused on the winter months ahead. Although we don't typically see severe winters in the southeast, even small amounts of snow or ice can cripple our transportation system and create dangerous conditions for motorists. And, the wet weather pattern we've seen for much of 2009 makes one wonder if this could be a winter to remember...
A Watchful Eye on Tennessee Bridges As heavy rains fall on Tennessee, TDOT's bridge inspectors await notifications from an automated program called "Bridge Watch." Flooding can undermine the structural integrity of certain bridges in the state, so TDOT utilizes this program to alert the department of any potential problems with bridges due to heavy rains...
The Road to Recovery Nearly a half million Tennesseans will hit the road this Labor Day to enjoy the last days of summer by vacationing or visiting family. These travelers will pass some of the people for whom this holiday was created, American workers. In this tough economic climate, the Labor Day holiday has a special significance. While some Tennesseans are traveling, others will be happy to simply be called workers...
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A monthly column by TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely  - Blog RSS feed ![[Feed icon]](http://www.stategazette.com/images/icons/feed-icon-14x14.png){kind=icon} - Comments RSS feed - Login Gerald F. Nicely was appointed Commissioner of Transportation for Tennessee by Governor Phil Bredesen shortly after his election in November 2002. He assumed the position in January 2003. Commissioner Nicely had the distinction of serving simultaneously in two state cabinet posts following his December 2005 appointment by the Governor to oversee the restructuring of the Tennessee Department of Safety. In addition to his duties at TDOT, Nicely served as Interim Commissioner of Safety from December 2005 until January 2007. In that role, he worked to initiate changes necessary to restore public confidence and credibility in the law enforcement and licensing agency.
Nicely joined state government and TDOT after more than 30 years of local government experience and a track record of successfully forging public-private partnerships that helped transform Nashville. He served as Executive Director of Nashville's Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency from 1979-2002. Under his leadership, MDHA spearheaded a wide range of development and housing initiatives and was viewed as one of the best-run local agencies in the country. From 1995-97, he served a two-year term as President of the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association.
Nicely serves on the Board the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. He was a Founding Board member of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and a Charter Board member of the Nashville Housing Fund. He is an alumnus of Leadership Nashville. Nicely has received numerous awards for public service including: Tennessee Association of Public Administration's Public Administrator of the Year in 2006, the Nashville Kiwanis Club's co-Nashvillian of the year in 2001 (his wife Donna was the co-recipient), the Nashville Chapter of the American Public Relations Society's Apollo award in 2006 and the Nashville Engineering Center's Distinguished Builder Award.
Nicely grew up in Oak Ridge and is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School. He holds both bachelors and masters degrees in economics from the University of Tennessee. He is a U.S. Army veteran. He is married to Donna Nicely, Director of the Nashville Public Library system, and has two daughters and three grandsons.
Hot topics Efforts to Save Teen Lives Are Making a Difference(0 ~ 4:45 PM, Feb 1)
New program works to identify and address potential rockfall sites
TDOT adds to winter weather arsenal
A Watchful Eye on Tennessee Bridges
The Road to Recovery
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