School zone enforcement ahead of school year start

T-G STAFF REPORT

Posted 7/24/23

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School zone enforcement ahead of school year start

T-G file photo

Posted Monday, July 24, 2023 5:00 pm

T-G STAFF REPORT

With kids heading back to school in just over a week, local law enforcement will begin to step up their enforcement in school zones and roadways, county wide. And with the widening of Hwy 41A from Shelbyville to Tullahoma, there will most likely be an even higher likelihood of increased patrols.

An average of 1,247 accidents occurred in school zones from 2017 and 2022 with Murfreesboro experiencing a tragedy on the first day of the 2022 school year. So far last year, there were 490 total crashes in school zones across Tennessee with the majority of them happening during the months of August through April. Additionally, the number of teenager accidents (drivers 15-24 by Tennessee classifications) comes in over 11,600 during 2018-2022

Local law enforcement agencies will be targeting aggressive driving, tailgating, road rage and of course, speeding.

Bedford County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Nikia Elliott tells the Times Gazette "Another area that will be a focus in the coming weeks and heavily focused on Highway 231 North and Highway 41A South is school bus stop enforcement.

"We have an issue during the school year with people not stopping for school buses on those large multi lane highways. In the past, that problem has mainly been on Hwy. 231 North, but with the widening of 41A South toward Tullahoma, we anticipate an issue on that highway as well. It seems to be a bigger problem when school first starts for the year."