Oak Ridge Today

Drivers prohibited from holding wireless telecommunications device

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Under a new state law that went into effect July 1, drivers in Tennessee are now prohibited from holding a wireless telecommunications device such as a cell phone, personal digital assistant, or computer while operating a vehicle.

To comply with the new law, the Oak Ridge city code has to be changed. The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the code change in the first of two readings during a meeting this evening (Monday, July 8).

The proposed city ordinance mirrors the new state law, the city’s legal staff said in a July 1 memo. Most first and second offenses of the new handheld law will be brought to Oak Ridge City Court. Other offenses will result in state charges, which can result in higher fines than those imposed in municipal courts. Those other offenses include third and higher offenses, as well as violations occurring in construction zones, marked school zones where flashers are operating, and offenses that result in a crash.

[Read more…]

Methodist, AARP offer safe driving program for seniors

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

To help senior drivers hone their safety skills, Methodist Medical Center is sponsoring the AARP Driver Safety Program to be held on June 15 and 16 from 1 to 5 p.m. each day in the Cheyenne Ambulatory Center’s conference room, located at 944 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The eight-hour classroom refresher course is designed to help drivers 50 years and older to improve their skills. Most auto insurance carriers are required to offer discounts for drivers who complete this accredited course.

The course explains the age-related changes that occur in vision, hearing, and reaction time and provides useful driving safety tips for handling these changes. Certified AARP instructor Jack Cowen will be presenting this course through a combination of group discussion and video activities.

Class size is limited and registration is required. The fee for the course is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-AARP members. For more information or to register, call (865) 483-1615. If leaving a message, be sure to include name, address, date of birth, driver’s license number, and AARP membership number if applicable.

Guest column: Runner, driver safety at risk in ‘Death Zone’

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Melton Lake Pedestrian Crossing

The pedestrian crossing at Melton Lake Drive and Emory Valley Road. (Submitted image)

The subject of this article is safety awareness for pedestrians and drivers at the crosswalk near the intersection of Melton Lake Greenway and Emory Valley Road Greenway (pictured at left), which I have dubbed the “Death Zone.”

To establish some credibility on the subject, I’ll note that I’ve been running competitively for 34 years, running nearly 75,000 miles, placing in all race distances and age categories. I’m also a board member of the Oak Ridge Track Club, an organization dedicated to promoting fitness through safe running and road racing in the Oak Ridge community.

Running as much as I do, and traveling as much as I do, I find myself at the subject intersection almost daily, as well as many other intersections throughout Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and the United States in general. With this running experience, I am keenly aware of the importance of running safely, and I advocate safety while running above all other interests. After all, if I don’t get home alive, my run wasn’t very successful at improving my health, right? Although an experienced runner, I have no legal experience, so I speak only as an educated layman on the legal aspects of Tennessee pedestrian law.

With regard to the “Death Zone,” a few weeks ago I came the closest to being killed by a vehicle while running than ever before—that is, other than the deliberate attempts by drivers to kill me while I’m running, which could easily be the subject of my first book. This near-death experience occurred because of three key factors, some of which are unique to this crosswalk, while others are universally applicable:

[Read more…]

Police Department starts crosswalk safety operation Friday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Starting Friday, the Oak Ridge Police Department will conduct an intensive eight-day pedestrian crosswalk safety operation that will focus on drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, a press release said.

Known as Operation Drive Safe 2013, the operation starting Friday will focus on a particularly dangerous location on Emory Valley Road, the press release said. It’s meant to improve pedestrian and traffic safety in the city.

[Read more…]