RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN – The results are in from *Operation Fall Back*, and it seems the law enforcement push to reduce traffic deaths and injuries went off without a hitch. No one was injured or killed in the effort on Monday, November 4, as officers across two counties in our immediate area focused on traffic safety and enforcement along I-840 and Highway 96 (Franklin Highway).
Sgt. Austin Watson of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, who coordinated the 24-hour event from midnight Monday to midnight Tuesday, explained that *Operation Fall Back* was designed to heighten drivers’ awareness as daylight hours decrease. “There were only three property damage accidents that occurred during those times,” Sgt. Watson reported, underscoring the operation’s goal of reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities.
In Rutherford and Williamson counties, law enforcement agencies concentrated on high-traffic exits and sections of I-840 and Highway 96, where common violations can often lead to accidents. Murfreesboro and Smyrna Police focused their efforts on exits along I-840, while La Vergne Police, State Troopers, and Williamson County deputies extended their coverage along the I-24 area, I-840 and State Route 96. Franklin Police monitored State Route 96 within Franklin city limits, ensuring coverage across county lines.
The results? A total of 118 speeding tickets, 29 citations for using handheld devices, 11 seatbelt violations, and 13 drivers with revoked or suspended licenses. The focus of Operation Fall Back were traffic violations that could potentially lead to a crash. Three major contributions to auto accidents are speeding, holding / calling-on / texting-on a cell phone and driving impaired.
Residents can review the full rundown of Operation Fall Back’s enforcement numbers from the combined Traffic Safety Task Forces of Rutherford and Williamson counties above. As the days grow shorter, law enforcement is hopeful that increased education and vigilance will keep more Tennesseans safe on the road.
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