MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Tennessee Highway Safety Office has launched "Slow Down Tennessee" in an effort to prevent speeding. It runs from Oct. 15 to Oct. 29.
During that time, THSO is partnering with local agencies across the state to increase public education and enforcement to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities due to speeding.
“People aren’t listening, pretty much to the fact that speeding kills," Sgt. Chris Richardson, of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, said.
Speeding is an issue that Richardson is all too familiar with, with 30 years of experience working with THP.
“You see it all over Shelby County," he said. "You see it along the loop especially and they need to wake up and realize that it’s killing people. What can you do personally? Slow down. Leave the house earlier."
In Tennessee, fatal crashes are up 11% this year compared to 2020. On Shelby County roadways, 201 people have died in crashes this year.
That's up nearly 6% for the same time period compared to 190 deaths in 2020 and 122 deaths in 2019.
“We work too many fatalities and that’s the worst part of my job is to go to someone’s house and tell them the person that they love is never coming home again because of a crash that could have been prevented," Richardson said.
Richardson says this is a problem that can't be fixed through enforcement alone. They need the public's help to reduce it.
“Slow down! Wear that seat belt," he said. "These are things we preach all of the time.”
THSO is asking people to use #SlowDownTN on social media to encourage safe driving.
People can also get "Slow Down" signs for their schools here.