Tennessee Highway Patrol are Prepared for the Labor Day Holiday Weekend

NASHVILLE --- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner David Purkey and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Colonel Tracy Trott today, commented on enforcement plans for the Labor Day holiday weekend. The holiday enforcement period will begin on Friday, September 2 and conclude on Monday, September 5.

“Troopers will be out in force working tirelessly across the state to ensure the summer period comes to a safe close,” said Colonel Tracy Trott. “Our high-visibility enforcement effort which includes saturation patrols, bar and tavern checks and sobriety checkpoints, will help remove impaired drivers from Tennessee roadways. Our goal is to remove unsafe motorists from the roadway before they injure or kill themselves or an innocent person.”

“The ultimate goal is to save lives on Tennessee roadways,” Commissioner David Purkey said. “We will not tolerate reckless drivers, distracted drivers, or driving under the influence. It is critical that motorists obey the traffic laws to ensure a safe arrival. It’s important to always choose a designated driver or car service if you plan to drink.”

During the 2015 Labor Day holiday, 14 people were killed in 14 fatal crashes on Tennessee roadways. Alcohol was involved in six of the fatalities, and 55.6 percent of vehicle occupants killed were not wearing seatbelts resulting in nine unrestrained fatalities.

Distracted driving, DUI and seatbelts are just three of the categories that THP has focused on throughout the year especially during the holidays. THP will target high traffic crash and fatality areas during the Labor Day weekend.

In 2015, THP made 5,260 DUI arrests from January to August. In 2016, THP made 5,735 DUI Arrests during the same dates. That's a 9.03 percent increase since 2015.

In Tennessee, the preliminary number of alcohol-related crashes has decreased 4.1 percent through the first eight months of 2016 compared to that same time period last year. From January through August of 2016, there have been 4,126 crashes involving impaired drivers. That is 178 fewer than the 4,304 crashes during those same dates in 2015.

Seatbelt usage is another contributing factor in crashes across the state. To date, 44.9 percent of vehicle occupants killed in crashes were not wearing seatbelts.

As of August 31, 2016, preliminary statistics indicate that 656 people have died on Tennessee roadways. This is an increase of nearly 8.0 percent compared to the 607 fatalities at this same time last year.

Please view our link for a list of the scheduled Labor Day enforcement checkpoints at  http://tn.gov/safety/article/checkpoints.

A 2015 Labor Day holiday statistical sheet is provided for your information.

The 2015 Final Labor Day Holiday Report can be found here.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (www.TN.Gov/safety) mission is to serve, secure, and protect the people of Tennessee.

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