Safe Driving Campaign Begins in Paducah

During a press conference Tuesday morning at Paducah Tilghman High School, Paducah Police Captain Don Hodgson said that 2012 has been a deadly year so far for drivers in Paducah. 

Six fatalities occurred in the first six months of the year. Hodgson says that number is alarming because it means that Paducah has more collisions per capita than any other location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

He said, "That's a staggering statistic for us." 

Hodgson says it was so alarming "...that it caused us to look at what we're doing, and see if we're missing something." 

Police studied traffic accidents and citations in the city, and as it turns out, there's no particular section of road, no certain red light, causing more trouble than other locations in Paducah. So officers have launched a safe driving campaign, in an effort to encourage positive habits while behind the wheel.

Although the reasons for vehicle collisons are numerous, Hodgson says when it comes to distracted drivers, texting is the number-one problem. So he took the issue to Paducah Tilghman High School Tuesday morning, as part of an effort to develop responsible habits just as individuals are beginning to drive.

There's also the fact that 16-18 year-olds have a disproportionately high rate of being involved in an accident. Hodgson says this is likely due to inexperience, adding that the question now becomes "how to manage technology" and drive responsibly at the same time.

On Thursday of this week, a texting-while-driving simulator will be available during school hours for Tilghman students to experience. They'll be able to see just how important it is to keep their eyes on the road when behind the wheel.