THP Joins Williamson County DUI Blitz

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Highway Patrol is teaming up with local law enforcement agencies in Williamson County to conduct a multi-jurisdictional DUI enforcement blitz during the New Year’s holiday weekend, cracking down on drunk drivers with an aggressive Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.  enforcement initiative.    The DUI enforcement partnership was announced at a 10 a.m. news conference Thursday in Franklin, Tenn.   

 

Tennessee State Troopers will join forces with more than 30 officers from the Franklin and Brentwood Police Departments and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office to conduct saturation patrols and a sobriety checkpoint in an effort to reduce alcohol-related fatalities and serious injury crashes.  Operation DUI Blitz begins at 4 p.m., Friday, December 31, and will end at 4 a.m., Saturday, January 1, 2011.

 

“Several facets of THP and local law enforcement will be deployed in Operation DUI Blitz, such asK-9’s, interdiction plus patrols and a mobile holding cell,” stated Colonel Tracy Trott, THP Commander. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve only had one drink; it’s not worth the risk, buzzed driving is drunk driving. No matter your age; if you plan on drinking, you’d better find a safe and sober ride home or your chances of arrest are high.”

 

The 2010-2011 New Year’s Holiday period begins at 6 p.m., Thursday, December 30, and will end at 11:59 p.m., Sunday, January 2, 2011. During the 2009-10 New Year’s holiday weekend, 13 people were killed statewide and four of the fatalities (27%) occurred in alcohol-related crashes.

 

The consequences of drinking and driving are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving impaired can be significant. Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates and dozens of other unanticipated expenses. For more information on the consequences of impaired driving in Tennessee, visit http://tennessee.gov/safety/duioutline.htm .

 

“Too many people still fail to understand the severity or the consequences of driving impaired,” said Franklin Police Chief Jackie Moore. “It is not an accident, nor is it a victimless crime. Sadly, many think they are invincible and make the conscious decision to get behind the wheel when they have no business driving. We are going to put those people in jail.”  

 

“It’s obvious to recognize someone who is not fit to drive home safely,” said Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Long. “You don’t have to be ‘falling down drunk’ to be a threat to yourself or others on the road. Don’t let your 2010 end in an arrest or worse, death. Remember, whether you’ve had way too many or one too many, it’s not worth the risk!”

In 2009, national statistics indicate 40 percent of all drivers involved in traffic-related crashes during New Year’s holiday period had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, the legal limit in all states. 

 

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest problems. Nationwide, in 2009, 33,808 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. Out of that number, 10,839 people were killed in traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 or higher, a 7.4 percent decline from 11,711 impaired driving fatalities in 2008.

 

In Tennessee in 2009, 985 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. There were 303 people who were killed in traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 or higher. That’s a one percent decline from 306 impaired driving deaths in 2008, and a 19.6 percent decline from the 377 impaired driving deaths in 2007.

 

In 2010, preliminary statistics indicate as of December 28, 1,022 people have died on Tennessee roadways, an increase of 43 deaths (4.4 percent) compared to 979 fatalities at this same time a year ago. 

 

THP and Franklin PD have received grant funding from the Governor’s Highway Safety Office (GHSO) to pay overtime for officer’s working a 12-hour shift during Operation DUI Blitz.

 

The highest number of fatalities during a 78-hour New Year’s holiday period occurred in 1970-71 when 19 people were killed in Tennessee traffic crashes yielding a fatality rate of one death per 4.1 hours. The lowest number of fatalities during a 78-hour New Year’s holiday occurred in 1982-83 when eight people were killed, yielding a fatality rate of one death per 9.8 hours. Statistics for the 2009-2010 New Year's holiday period is attached. For more information on impaired driving, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org

 

 

As part of Operation DUI Blitz a sobriety checkpoint will be conducted at Carothers Parkway between Cool Springs Boulevard and Bakers Bridge Avenue in Franklin, Tenn. from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., Saturday, January 1, 2011. 

 

 

 

 

If you are planning to drink alcohol with family and friends, there are several simple steps to help avoid a tragic crash or trauma and the financial costs associated with an impaired driving arrest.

 

·         Plan ahead: Whenever you plan on consuming alcohol, designate your sober driver before going out and give that person your keys.

·         If you’re impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.

·         Wearing your seat belt or using protective gear when on your motorcycle is your best defense against an impaired driver.

·         And remember, “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk”. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

·         Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses from attorney fees, other fines and court costs, towing and repairs, lost time at work, etc.