Lisa McClain
Director, Court Safety Program

Montgomery County Court Safety Program

Mission

To heighten driver safety awareness and provide driver education services, in response to the community initiative to reduce traffic fatalities that has more than doubled the referrals of the court program and related service providers, challenging the courts’ ability to process other types of cases in a timely manner.

Adult Driver Improvement Program

A two-hour class offered to qualified adult traffic offenders with speeding citations. Cost is $75 plus court costs. Cash, money order and credit card accepted. For more information or to register, contact Circuit Court at 931-648-5700.

Juvenile Court Defensive Driving Course

Offered through the National Safety Council, this eight-hour class is available for juveniles reporting to juvenile court services. Cost is $20 per phase ordered by the court. Cash or money order accepted. For more information or to register, call 931-648-5766.

“Alive at 25” Defensive Driving Course

Offered through the National Safety Council, this four-hour class is open to Clarksville-Montgomery County high school students. Participants completing the program will receive a certificate and may receive a premium discount from their insurance company. Cost is $60. Cash and money order accepted. To register, call 931-648-5766.

For a list of upcoming classes please view the Court Safety Program Calendar.

For information on the Court Safety Program, call Lisa McClain at 931-553-5186 or email her at lnmcclain@montgomerycountytn.org.

Court Safety Program Overview

Court Safety Program was established in 2002. The program was established to heighten driver safety awareness and provide driver education services.

Driver Education Programs offered through County Government provide alternative resources to traffic offenders for both adult and youth while providing driver education services to drivers educating and reminding them of safe driving to reduce traffic fatalities and crashes. Over 1,000 drivers participate each year in county offered programs and over $60,000 in revenue is generated. Child passenger safety checks are conducted to ensure proper child restraint installation and provide education.

Driver Education Programs:

Adult Driver Improvement Program

A driver education program for adult traffic offenders with speeding citations. The completion of the driver improvement program may allow participants to avoid accumulation of points against driving privileges, and may avoid increases in insurance premiums.

Juvenile Court Defensive Driving Course

This is an 8 hour driver education program for primarily juvenile traffic offenders and young drivers involved in vehicle collisions. Participants learn ways to drive safely and responsibly that will become habit as they put the skills into practice. The program provides young drivers with tips for handling what they can control: themselves and their vehicle. It provides them with useful guidelines for coping with everyday driving conditions they cannot control: weather, light, traffic, roads, and other drivers. All these habits can make the difference between life and death, health and injury. We know their experience in this course will be meaningful, and as a result they will want to be a defensive driver.

“Alive at 25” Defensive Driving Course

This is a 4 hour driver education program designed specifically for young drivers. Participants learn on the spot defensive driving techniques, plus state and local driving laws and regulations. They get practical, lifesaving information, including why young drivers often underestimate risk, techniques to maintain control in driving situations, how to handle peer pressure, and how to stay cool with friends. Participants completing the program will receive a certificate and may receive a premium discount on vehicle insurance for attending a driver education program.

Program Goals:

27,000 young drivers have been served through this program as of 2007 and will continue to teach and/or inform approximately 9,000 young drivers safe driving practices and the driver education programs provided through Montgomery County Government.
Anti-theft Program for youthful offenders. The anti-theft program provides Juvenile Court a program to assign the increasing number of youthful offenders with theft offenses in Montgomery County. The program will decrease the number of repeat offenders in the area of concern. Find alternative plan for approximately 15,000 in state and out of state adult traffic offenders with speeding citations.
Seat Belt Program for youth offenders. The Seat Belt program provides Juvenile Court a program to assign the increasing number of youthful offenders with seat belt citations in Montgomery County. With another tool to utilize in teaching young people the benefits of wearing seat belts and some of the problems associated with failure to do so. It is expected that this program will save lives by increasing the number of seat belt users in Montgomery County.

We have suffered a tremendous loss in precious young lives in Montgomery County over the last few years. The traffic safety programs afford us the opportunity to take a proactive approach towards reducing the number of young people killed or seriously injured due to traffic crashes on our roads and highways. This is accomplished partially through our schools, as to what programs are available through Montgomery County Government. The traffic safety programs attempt to correct driving deficiencies, reduce incidents of unlawful, aggressive and or unsafe driving practices by young people. We seek to inform these young people of the benefits of wearing seat belts and some of the problems associated with not doing so. The traffic safety programs also provide the Juvenile Court Judges of Montgomery County with additional tools that they can utilize in their endeavor to assist with this overall effort to make our community a safer place to drive in and reside in.