The Blount County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to the safety of the citizens that live in and visit this county. One of the larger visitor attractions is a section of US Hwy 129 known as "The Dragon". This section of roadway attracts people from all over the world for its breath-taking scenery, and for the thrill of driving this extremely curvy highway.
The Sheriff's Office began concentrated patrols in this area because of the extremely high number of complaints from citizens and the increasing number of injuries and deaths due to crashes. This extra patrol effort is entirely funded by grants from the Governor's Highway Safety Office.
When you are visiting the area, please feel free to stop and talk to any Deputy you may see. We are there to answer your questions and hopefully make your visit safer and more enjoyable.
Remember when visiting this very unique highway, you are not the only one there. There are many people who have to use this road every day commuting to and from work or are visiting family. Drive like you would want people to drive on the roads you and your family travel daily. If everyone would do this, there will be far fewer injuries and deaths, and when you see a Deputy, you won't be leaving with an invitation to return at a later date.
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We are often asked why we spend so much time and money on traffic enforcement efforts on "The Dragon". The simple answer is this: In 10 years there were 27 motorcycle fatalities on the 11 miles while the rest of the roads in Blount County, over 1100 miles, there were only 23 motorcycle fatalities. Also keep in mind that while this number of fatalities may not seem extremely high for a US highway, we are only talking about an eleven mile section of a roadway where the speed limit is only 30 mph.
For every fatality on this section of roadway there are several more people that have their lives changed forever due to injuries received here. During the summer months the local helicopter ambulances make several trips here to pick up critically injured patients and the ground ambulance transports at least 10 patients per month to area hospitals for treatment. This is an extremely rural area. The nearest ambulance service is 45 minutes away. Once an injured person is being transported by the ambulance it will take an additional 45 minutes to reach a hospital for minor injuries and over an hour to reach a Trauma Center Hospital. So if you are injured in the area plan to wait at least an hour and half to receive treatment at a hospital.
Blount County Sheriff's Office
940 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy
Maryville, TN 37804
(865) 273-5000
[ www.bcso.com ]
If you would like to contact a Traffic Safety Supervisor,
please fill out the form below.
- Blount County Sheriff's Office :: www.bcso.com
- Tennessee Highway Safety Office :: www.tntrafficsafety.org
- Tennessee Code Annotated Online :: www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/tncode/
Special thanks to Killboy.com for allowing the use of their photographs.