The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has announced that it will increase patrol tomorrow, as people celebrate the Fourth of July. Last year, the agency held its first-ever “No Refusal” DUI enforcement effort which took place in five counties over the July Fourth holiday period.
According to the agency, law enforcement officials were able to seek warrants for blood samples in suspected cases of drunk driving in selected counties. The agency reported that during the 2010 Fourth of July holiday weekend, 15 people died in 14 crashes on Tennessee roadways.
Nationally, during the Fourth of July weekend in 2009, statistics indicated that 40 percent of drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.
Because the holiday falls on a Thursday this year, AAA said that it is expecting that fewer Americans will be on the road. “This projection is due to the calendar effect of one fewer day in the holiday period, and economic growth that is not robust enough to offset the impact of the sequester and the effect of the end of the payroll-tax cut on American families,” Robert Darbelnet, AAA’s national president and CEO said in a press release.
40.8 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday, a 0.8 percent decrease from the 41.1 million people who traveled last year, according to AAA.
To stay safe drivers should avoid drunk driving by planning to have a designated driver, and avoid speeding. If you have had a loved one killed in a car accident, it is helpful to have someone fighting alongside you. Talk with our law firm today at (615) 866-3938—we can advise you and help you on the road to recovery.
“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” – Genesis 8:22