THP increasing patrols during busy travel holiday

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will be out in force this Labor Day weekend, cracking down on drivers who break the law. The Labor Day holiday weekend begins today at 6 p.m. and ends Monday at 11:59 p.m. More than 80 sobriety and driver license checkpoints are scheduled across the state over the long weekend. Troopers will also participate in saturation patrols to increase their visibility and, ultimately, save lives. In the THP’s Memphis District, which includes Obion County, saturation patrols will be conducted in Fayette, Obion, Shelby and Tipton counties. A driver’s license checkpoint is planned for Monday afternoon on State Route 5 in Obion County, while a sobriety checkpoint is scheduled for Monday evening on State Route 214 in Obion County, according to the THP. “We want everyone to reach their destination safely this Labor Day holiday and we’re confident these efforts will help us reach that goal,” Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell said. “Drivers tend to slow down and obey traffic laws when they know an officer is watching.” The Tennessee Department of Safety is also teaming up with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and other law enforcement agencies across the nation this weekend in the aggressive crackdown on impaired drivers, “Booze It and Lose It!” as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s national campaign, “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In Tennessee in 2006, 439 people were killed in crashes where the driver or motorcyclist had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Over the 2007 Labor Day holiday, 17 people were killed on Tennessee roadways. “Labor Day weekend is a time to relax and have fun, but we want everyone to play it safe and designate a sober driver,” THP Colonel Mike Walker said. “Make no mistake, if we catch you driving impaired, you will be arrested. No exceptions. No excuses.” Published in The Messenger 8.29.08

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