Tipton County Constable's Office

Traffic Safety Program

​

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is Tennessee's advocate for highway safety. This office works with law enforcement officials, judicial personnel and community advocates to coordinate activities and initiatives relating to the human behavioral aspects of highway safety. Its mission is to develop, execute, and evaluate programs to reduce the number of fatalities, injuries and related economic losses resulting from traffic crashes on our roadways. The office works with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to implement programs focusing on occupant protection, impaired driving, speed enforcement, truck and school bus safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety and crash data collection and analysis. Programs administered by THSO are 100% federally funded.  

 

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO), the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP), and the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association (TSA) have joined forces to strengthen and support traffic enforcement nationwide by providing the Law Enforcement Challenge program, an innovative program designed to stimulate traffic law enforcement activities. The program targets three major traffic safety priorities: occupant protection, impaired driving, and speeding. The Law Enforcement Challenge provides law enforcement agencies with an opportunity to make a significant difference in the communities they serve. The program format allows for agencies to learn from one another and establish goals in traffic safety enforcement and education. Ultimately, the Law Enforcement Challenge is about saving lives and reducing injuries.

 

Training

​

THSO offers traffic safety training to law enforcement agencies throughout the state of Tennessee. The following are courses your local Constables have attended. 

• DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing - focuses on a set of examination procedures that provide officers knowledge and tools for DWI detection. The SFST course provides detailed explanations of the evaluation procedures, careful demonstrations of these procedures (both "live" and via video), and ample opportunities for the participants to practice administering the evaluations. In March, 2023, Constables Darren Smith and Michael Osborn, along with Atoka Officers L. Hubbard and J. Jordan attended this 3 day training program at Humboldt Police Department.  Constable Fisher attended this training in September 2023.

• Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) - train law enforcement officers to observe, identify, and articulate the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol or a combination of both in order to reduce the number of impaired driving incidents, serious injury, and fatal crashes. August 7th, 2023 8:00 AM to August 8th, 2023 5:00 PM.  Constable Smith achieved this certification in August with Munford, Atoka, and Sheriff's Deputies.  He is the only Constable in the state with this advanced training.

• Law Enforcement Instructor Development - This class will provide the student with the basic knowledge of instructor techniques, characteristics, traits and equipment to use as an instructor.  The student will be taught the basic knowledge of authentic assessment methods to use as an instructor.  This course will provide the student with the basic knowledge of Classroom Management techniques and further provide the student with the basic knowledge of training liability and copyright law to use as an instructor.  August 28th, 2023 8:00 AM to September 1st, 2023 5:00 PM.  Constable Smith achieved this certification in August, 2023

• RADAR LIDAR - Instructor - This course will improve the student's proficiency in the use of police traffic Radar and develop instructional skills sufficiently to present Radar training programs to other members of law enforcement. The student will learn the characteristics of different types of stationary and moving Radar units. In addition, you will be coached in the use of instructional methods that emphasize the need for complete equipment familiarity on the part of the Radar operator. Various aspects of Radar use such as the Doppler principle, legal requirements and the relationship of traffic Radar to the overall speed enforcement program will be taught and the student will participate in practical exercises utilizing a variety of Radar equipment.  This Radar instructor course is based on "The Basic Training Program in Radar Speed Measurement" developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Constable Smith achieved this certification in September, 2023 in Ashland City, TN.  He is one of two Constables in the State of Tennessee with a current qualification as a Radar/Lidar Instruct

​

Related Links

• Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO)

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

• SaferCar.gov

• Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

• Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

• Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

• Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS)

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

 

RADAR LIDAR Instructor Class, Ashland City, September 18, 2023