DUI Checkpoints & Crime on the Road, Sobriety Checkpoints

THP Urges Motorists Beware: Drunk Driving Will Not Be Tolerated!

Don’t let Halloween Turn into a Horror Story

NASHVILLE — Halloween is a fun night for both children and adults, but the Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) remind parents, children and especially motorists to do their part to make sure that everyone gets home safely.  The celebration can quickly turn into a real night of horror if someone is hurt by a carless or impaired driver.

“With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, we want to make sure revelers aren’t taking the party to the roadways, putting trick-or-treaters and responsible motorists at risk,” said Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell.  “Law enforcement officers throughout Tennessee will be out in full force arresting and removing drunk drivers from our roadways.”

Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to drunk drivers.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2008, 58 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 or higher.  Last year in Tennessee, eight people were killed in seven crashes on Halloween between 12:00 a.m., October 31, 2008, through 6:00 a.m., November 1, 2008. Four of those crashes involved alcohol. That compares to three people killed in crashes on Halloween during the same time period in 2007. One crash in 2007 involved alcohol.

“One foolish decision can turn a fun Halloween into a real nightmare,” stated THP Colonel Mike Walker. “We want everyone to have a good time, but be smart about it.  Designate a driver.  This is your warning, because if you drink and drive, you will go to jail.”

Parents and children have a responsibility to be safe this Halloween too.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that the number of deaths among young pedestrians (ages 5-14) is four times higher on Halloween evening than any other evening of the year.  The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) reports that fatal collisions between motor vehicles and young pedestrians (under the age of 15) happen most frequently between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., prime trick-or-treating time.  Parents should remind teens just how terrifying and dangerous and illegal it is to drink and drive.  In 2008, 31% of young drivers, 15 to 20 years old, who were killed in crashes, had a BAC of .08 or higher.   Drivers are less likely to use restraints when they have been drinking.  In 2008, 63 percent of young drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were unrestrained.

There are simple precautions partygoers can take such as designating a sober driver in advance or taking a taxi. Below are tips parents, children and motorists should keep in mind before heading out the door this Halloween.  Sobriety and Driver License checkpoints for the Halloween weekend are attached.

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY

DRIVER LICENSE & SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS

DIST. 1 KNOXVILLE

Saturday, October 31:

DL CHECKPOINT                             ANDERSON COUNTY            SR 170 @ C.U.B.                        MORNING

DL CHECKPOINT                             KNOX COUNTY       NORTHSHORE DR. @ CONCORD RD.         NOON

DL CHECKPOINT                             ROANE COUNTY     HWY 27 @ ROANE/MORGAN CO. LINE      EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             SEVIER COUNTY     WHITE SCHOOL RD @ SUGAR HOLLOW    EVENING

DIST. 2 CHATTANOOGA

Friday, October 30:

SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT                    SEQUATCHIE COUNTY          US 127 & CATES STREET              EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             HAMILTON COUNTY THRASHER PIKE                      AFTERNOON

DL CHECK POINT                            HAMILTON COUNTY    BONNY OAKES @ SOCCER COMPLEX  EVENING   DL CHECKPOINT                 BRADLEY COUNTY US HWY 11 NORTH & OLD CHARLESTON RD                EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             GRUNDY COUNTY   HWY 150 @ WHITE CITY             MORNING DL CHECKPOINT                                     MEIGS COUNTY                  HWY 58 @ LAMONTVILLE RD    EVENING

DIST. 3 NASHVILLE

Friday, October 30:

DL CHECKPOINT                 CHEATHAM COUNTY          SAMS CREEK & NEAR DRY CREEK RD     AFTERNOON

DL CHECKPOINT                 DICKSON COUNTY   HWY 47 @ MONTGOMERY BELL ST PARK   MORNING

DL CHECKPOINT                HUMPHREYS COUNTY         HIGHWAY 230 @ VARDEN RD               AFTERNOON

DL CHECKPOINT                 ROBERTSON COUNTY         HIGHWAY 431 @ MM 4                     EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                 WILSON COUNTY               HIGHWAY 109 @ LAGUARDO                   EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                 WILLIAMSON COUNTY          HIGHWAY 96                                       MORNING

SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT        DAVIDSON COUNTY             LINBAR DR @ HAYWOOD OAKS                    EVENING

SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT         MONTGOMERY COUNTY      HWY 13 1 M SOUTH OF HWY 149             EVENING

SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT      STEWART COUNTY             HIGHWAY 149 @ HIGHWAY 46                 EVENING

DIST. 4 MEMPHIS

Saturday, October 31:

Saturation and Line Patrols on high volume roadways will be conducted in each Troop area.

DIST. 5 FALL BRANCH

Saturday, October 31:

DL CHECKPOINT                             COCKE COUNTY                   HOLT TOWN RD                       AFTERNOON

DL CHECKPOINT                             WASHINGTON COUNTY         HWY 81 @ MM 6                         EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             KNOX  COUNTY      US 25/70 @ KNOX CO. LINE           EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             SULLIVAN COUNTY BOONE DAM RD @ SR 75           AFTERNOON

DL CHECKPOINT                             HANDCOK COUNTY SR 345 @ INDUSTRIAL PARK       EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             GRAINGER COUNTY             SLATE HILL RD                          EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             HAWKINDS COUNTY             SR 66 @ ROCK CUT        EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             GREENE COUNTY                SR 93 @ LANCE STORE                 EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             GREEN COUNTY                 SR 34 @ HAMBLIN CO. LINE          EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             HAMBLEN COUNTY SR 343 @ OVERPASS                   EVENING

DIST. 6 COOKEVILLE

Saturday, October 31:

Saturation Patrols will be conducted in Fentress, Jackson, Overton, White and Warren Counties.

DIST. 7 LAWRENCEBURG

Friday, October 30:

DL CHECKPOINT                             LEWIS COUNTY                  SR 99 WEST @ MM 14                    EVENING  DL CHECKPOINT                                  PERRY COUNTY                  US 412 EAST @ MM 19                   EVENING                        

Saturday, October 31:

DL CHECKPOINT                             MAURY COUNTY       SR 48 NORTH @ BEAVER CREEK BRIDGE   EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                             LAWRENCE COUNTY  HWY 98 @ WEAVER CIRCLE          EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                 HICKMAN COUNTY   MOORESVILLE PIKE @ BLUE SPRINGS CHURCH AFTERNOON

DL CHECKPOINT                             WAYNE COUNTY     US HWY 64 W .2 MILES EAST MM 7                EVENING

DIST. 8 JACKSON

Saturday, October 31:

DL CHECKPOINT                 MADISON COUNTY       US HWY 412 @ HENDERSON CO. LINE            EVENING

DL CHECKPOINT                 HARDIN COUNTY         SR 203                                                 EVENING

SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT        WEAKLEY COUNTY     SR 190 @ SR 124                           EVENING

SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT        HARDIN COUNTY         SR 69                                                  EVENING