The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) has announced the results of its annual roadside observational survey, which shows a record-high seatbelt usage rate of 92.2% across the state. This marks a slight increase from the previous year’s 92.0% and is the highest rate recorded in Tennessee’s history. THSO Director Buddy Lewis expressed gratitude to traffic safety partners for their efforts in promoting occupant protection, increasing awareness, and engaging with local communities, and emphasized continued collaboration to reduce serious injuries and fatalities.
The THSO collaborates with various state and local partners through grant-funded programs such as Ollie Otter, Reduce TN Crashes, Rule the Road, and the Tennessee Occupant Protection Coalition. The office also supports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign, urging citizens to buckle up.
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Key findings from the 2024 seatbelt survey include:
– Data was gathered at 190 pre-identified locations statewide.
– Nearly 29,000 vehicle occupants were observed, including in passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs.
– Sport utility vehicle occupants had the highest seatbelt usage rate at 96.3%, while pickup truck occupants had the lowest at 84.6%.
– Female occupants exhibited a higher usage rate of 96.2% compared to 89.2% for males.
– Front-seat passengers were observed to have a slightly higher usage rate (92.3%) compared to drivers (92.1%).
– County-level usage rates exceeded 90% in 14 of the 16 surveyed counties, with McMinn County recording the highest rate at 97%.
The survey was conducted by the University of Tennessee’s Center for Transportation Research, following the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s guidelines for State Observational Surveys of Seat Belt Use.
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East Tennessee Construction Updates and Traffic Alerts
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has released an update on construction projects in East Tennessee for December 12-18, 2024. Motorists should be aware of lane closures and traffic changes across various counties, including Anderson, Blount, Campbell, and others, due to ongoing construction and storm damage repairs. For further details and real-time updates, motorists are encouraged to visit the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s SmartWay website or follow them on Twitter.