DUI enforcement increases for Labor Day Holiday
In August, you can feel the change in seasons coming. With school back in session in Chattanooga, and the slight cooling in the daily temps, you know summer is winding down and fall is just around the corner. But first comes the Labor Day weekend, which is viewed by many as the unofficial end of summer.
Many people will head to the mountains for a last summer get-together or maybe just across town to their relatives or friends home for a picnic or BBQ. However, local law enforcement is also planning for the busy holiday weekend, in an attempt to dissuade motorists from having a few too many alcoholic drinks and then getting behind the wheel.
Increased enforcement has already begun, and last Wednesday, the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office (GHSO) and the Chattanooga Police Department, along with most other law enforcement in the state, stepped up their patrols, use of sobriety checkpoints, and roadside signs warning of the dangers of drinking and driving.
The GHSO is coordinating the “Booze It and Lose It” campaign across the state in effort to reduce the number of fatal highway accidents involving alcohol-impaired drivers. Last year, Tennessee had 6,645 such accidents, and the GHSO, Tennessee Highway Patrol and local police departments will all be out in force looking for drivers who exhibit signs of intoxication.
During increased enforcement from campaigns such as Booze It and Lose It, law enforcement may make some more questionable stops. Given the negative consequences of a DUI conviction in Tennessee, any arrest for impaired driving needs to be contested, and you should always discuss your situation with an attorney before speaking with police or accepting a plea agreement.
Source: chattanoogan.com, “Chattanooga Police Department Increases DUI Enforcement During Statewide Booze It And Lose It Mobilization,” August 19, 2015