Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen and Knox County School Superintendent Dr. Charles Lindsey today urged caution to area motorists as children head back to school after the summer break. Knox County School children will return to class tomorrow.

Superintendent Lindsey said, "On any given school day we have thousands of parents and over 350 school buses delivering over 53,000 students to 86 different schools. School buses in Knox County travel over 20,000 miles everyday. That's a lot of movement - especially when the rest of Knoxville is trying to get to work or get home at the same time."

Chief Owen said officers will be conducting traffic patrols in each school district within the Knoxville City limits. The patrols will be enforce in the mornings as students make their way to school as well as in the afternoons as the children return home.

Chief Owen said, "To prevent student injuries or deaths, officers will be vigorously enforcing school speed limits. Every school zone will see uniformed officers in marked and unmarked police units patrolling the area." Citations issued to motorists in a school zone could result in fines of up to $147.50. In addition, the State of Tennessee will also post four to eight "points" on the driver's personal driving record. Accumulation of twelve points can result in the suspension of driving privileges in Tennessee.

Chief Owen said, "Children are our most precious resource. The community must do their part to help protect the leaders of tomorrow. We urge motorists to slow down and exercise extreme patience as children anxiously return for another exciting school year."

"As with anything we do, the safety and security of our students is our paramount concern, and traffic management is one of our greatest challenges in this respect," said Superintendent Lindsey.

"We are extremely grateful for the efforts of the city and the Knoxville Police Department in helping us get all of our students to school and back home safely," Dr. Lindsey concluded.