Star Staff Reports
The City of Millington has launched a new tool this year in its fight for safer roadways. As part of the City’s agreement with American Traffic Solutions a new Ford Escape with a “Millington Focused on Safety” graphic will be parked alongside the roadway enforcing traffic speeds in school zones and on other selected city streets. The multi-colored design appears on both side-door panels and is accompanied by a smaller graphic on the rear of the vehicle. “Our mobile speed enforcement program is just part of our commitment to enhance roadway safety,” said Chief Frank Tennant formerly of the Millington Police Department. “Now, whether the speed vehicle is parked outside the Police Department, traveling to an enforcement location or actively enforcing speed limits, the public will see the message and be reminded that Millington is serious about speed enforcement not in just school zones but on all of our roadways”
The city entered into a road safety camera enforcement program with American Traffic Solutions in 2009. In addition to the one speed safety vehicle, the “Focus on Safety” program includes eight red-light safety cameras at four intersections. Earlier this year the Tennessee legislature approved SB 1128. The legislation authorized communities in the state to continue to deploy school zone speed safety cameras and speed cameras under the conditions that Millington has always complied. This is all in an effort to reduce the number of accidents occurring in the area. If you have been in an accident caused through no fault of your own then you may need to contact a personal injury attorney to see if you could get compensation. The new car will help reduce the number of reckless drivers causing accidents.
Speeding is a chronic danger in Tennessee. According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, speed-related fatalities in Tennessee claimed 1,089 lives from 2009 through 2013. More than 26 percent of those deaths (291) occurred on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less. Excessive speed is a contributing factor in a large number of traffic accidents and excessive speed magnifies the chances for injury of those involved in a traffic accident. Millington Police investigate approximately 400 traffic accidents each year and about a quarter of those accidents result in injury to drivers or passengers. The message is resounding, Slow Down and Focus on Safety. Millington continues at attempting to change driver behavior with its speed safety camera program. 93 percent of the drivers who have received a violation haven’t received a second and the average number of speeding tickets issued per month is down 71 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010 to the first quarter of 2015. These results clearly indicate that drivers are slowing down, paying more attention and abiding by the posted speed limits.
“Everyone needs to know the great danger speeding poses. Exceeding the speed limit increases the likelihood and severity of a crash, and is particularly dangerous to bicyclists and pedestrians,” said Tennant. “When drivers slow down, Millington becomes a safer place. We couldn’t be more pleased to deploy this new vehicle.”
