County cracks down on school traffic safety

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — To ease the transition back to school, Tipton County Sheriff J.T. "Pancho" Chumley has announced a zero tolerance traffic enforcement campaign, which will focus on school bus stop zones and school speed zones.

More than 12,000 students will return to Tipton County Schools on Aug. 3, the Tipton County Action News 5 reports. School buses will be transporting students from six elementary schools, three middle schools, three high schools, a pre-school and an integrated arts academy on 159 routes.

In addition to school buses, parents and high schools students will also be on the roads, increasing traffic.

Chumley told the news source that the campaign was not to merely issue citations, but to make the county's roadways safer. Seat belt use and distracted and impatient driving will be targeted. The campaign will put on-shift and special traffic patrols throughout the county to enforce traffic safety. 

In 2010, young drivers in Tipton County accounted for 460 crashes, according to Tipton County Action News 5.