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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1996, the Athens,
Tennessee Police Department, analyzing local statistics and data
from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, confirmed that
motor vehicle crashes were increasing in the city. By combining
this information and analyses of comparative data from similar
cities, the Athens Police Department was able to determine that
crash rates were higher than average for two age groups: older
adult drivers over the age of 60, and 16 to 20 year-old drivers.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of Project
Assurance was to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes in
Athens, Tennessee. Objectives of the program were to:
- Form a community
coalition for addressing traffic safety issues
- Develop a traffic
safety effort targeting the populations identified in preliminary
analyses
- Devise a uniform
approach to data collection and data analysis
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
Following identification
of one of Athens' most critical traffic safety problems, the
Athens Police Department initiated an effort to address the issue,
using the design of the Safe Communities program as their primary
strategy. A Citizens Advisory Committee was formed from a partnership
among local individuals, businesses and industry, the judiciary,
the administration from the local high school and the Athens
Police Department. Many activities were instrumental in the success
of the Committee's efforts, including:
- The Committee developed
the Project Assurance program as an instrument for achieving
the goals and objectives of their traffic safety mission
- A public awareness
campaign was designed
- A key element of
the awareness campaign was creation of a Crash-of-the-Month Poster
series which was displayed at crash locations throughout the
city
- Local media were
instrumental in promoting the Project Assurance agenda by reporting
traffic enforcement efforts and safe driving publicity strategies
sponsored by the committee
- The local high
school supported Project Assurance activities through several
traffic safety education programs—primarily programs dealing
with alcohol-related driving violations
- The Committee sponsored
creation of a local 55 Alive traffic safety program for
older adult drivers
- Driving Under the
Influence of alcohol (DUI) classes were developed for DUI offenders
- Classes were developed
to promote seat belt use
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