Greatly enhanced visibility on Nashville’s roadways and zero tolerance for aggressive and impaired driving are the pillars of the police department’s Labor Day weekend traffic enforcement program that begins Thursday night and continues through Monday.
More than 100 additional officers being paid through a Governor’s Highway Safety Office grant will be working over the five-day period: 11 tomorrow, 21 Friday, 26 Saturday, 23 Sunday, and 30 Monday. The additional officers will complement the enforcement efforts of the police department’s DUI Unit.
“We are very serious about getting drunk and impaired drivers off our streets before they injure or kill innocent persons,” Chief Ronal Serpas said. “Traffic fatalities in Nashville during 2007 are down 27 %. DUI enforcement by dedicated police officers is having a positive impact in reducing injury and fatality crashes.”
So far this year, extra duty officers working under the highway safety grant have arrested nearly 1,000 suspected drunk drivers, a 200% increase when compared to highway safety grant arrests at this time last year. The DUI Unit has arrested more than 950 suspected drunk drivers, a 9% increase over last year.
Six sobriety checkpoints will be established during the holiday period. Friday evening’s checkpoints will be on Harding Place (in South Nashville) and West End Avenue. Saturday evening’s will be on Division Street and Nolensville Pike. Monday evening’s checkpoints will be conducted on Trinity Lane and Bell Road.
During last year’s Labor Day weekend, the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department made 45 DUI arrests.
“Drunk driving is just not worth the injuries, loss of life, and heartache it causes,” Chief Serpas said.
*Alcohol-related fatal crash statistics:
2003: 77 fatal crashes caused 82 deaths; 43% of the fatal crashes were attributed to impairment.
2004: 86 fatal crashes caused 95 deaths; 47% of the fatal crashes were attributed to impairment.
2005: 83 fatal crashes caused 90 deaths; 45% of the fatal crashes were attributed to impairment.
2006: 88 fatal crashes caused 98 deaths; at least 48% of the fatal crashes were attributed to impairment.
2007: 44 fatal crashes caused 48 deaths; at least 30% of the fatal crashes have been attributed to impairment (23 blood tests are still pending analysis by the state crime laboratory).
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