Safe On 70 Campaign Starts Tuesday

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office’s Safe on 70 campaign begins Tuesday.

The campaign will feature an increased presence of law enforcement on Highway 70 to ensure drivers are traveling safely.

Fred Sherrill is the Upper Cumberland Law Enforcement Liaison for the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. He said crash data shows that Tuesdays from Noon until 8:00 p.m are the highest crash days on Highway 70.

“We are going to run from one end of the state to the other to see if we can drive those crashes down and save some lives,” Sherrill said.

Sherrill said the campaign will operate similarly to the High Crash Area banners and signs that have been placed across Upper Cumberland roadways.

“We’ve got some banners and stuff that you’re going to see go out, and you’re going to see a lot of increased enforcement,” Sherrill said. “You’re going to see increased media notifications that we will be working Highway 70, trying to make it safe on 70.”

Highway 70 runs east to west through entire length of Tennessee, starting in Bristol and ending in Memphis. U.S. Hwy. 70 was the main travel route across the state prior to the development of Interstate 40. Today, traffic has increased on the highway due to motorists seeking alternate routes.  As a result, traffic fatalities have increased.

The campaign will take place on July 31 and August 3.