NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Stuart West works at a gas station on Lebanon Pike and expressed his concern for speeding.
"People just fly up and down this street," West said. "It is 45 mph but if I had to take a guess on what they are going, they are going 65 mph plus without even blinking an eye."
Metro Councilmember Jeff Eslick said the Nashville Department of Transportation lowering the speed limit by 5 mph would not change driver habits. In the latest report from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2022, Tennessee ranks the sixth worst in the country for traffic deaths.
"5 mph on that sign is not going to change anything," said Eslick. "It is that type of speeding it's the over-the-top, not paying attention, going in the center lane, just very rude driving."
Eslick said more traffic stops for speeding and more engineering NDOT would make a difference.
"I just want them to enforce the laws that we have on the books," said Eslick. "Maybe fill out all the staff on the traffic division and make traffic stops. Let someone on the precinct level stop someone when they see it."
Eslick listed several recent speeding accidents. A serious one happened about a month ago in his district.
"He was probably doing near a 100 mph before slowing down and striking another vehicle at 75 mph," said Eslick. "The lady the last I knew about a week or two ago was still in ICU from that wreck."
West said changing the speed limit would get speeders to think twice but enforcement would also help keep people safe.
"I think it should be down to 35 mph from this whole route, from this whole route down," said Stuart. "I think if they just made their presence known a little bit more at certain times of the day I think that might help."
Eslick said he will bring a resolution to the next Metro Council meeting encouraging more enforcement on Lebanon Pike and all districts in Nashville.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Kim Rafferty@newschannel5.com.
This story by Aaron Cantrell reminds me of my first school in Dyersburg, TN. I was a student at Bruce School from Kindergarten to second grade until the school system was integrated. My parents graduated from this K-12 school in 1960 in one of the city's African American communities. After sitting empty for several years, part of the school was demolished while the rest was renovated and now serves as a community center for the Bruce community in Dyersburg. A local pastor is now trying to do something similar in the Cemetery community in Rutherford Co.
-Lelan Statom
