State crackdown targets drunk drivers, those without seatbelts
It could be a long, hot summer for drunk drivers as a statewide crackdown, along with a tougher blood-alcohol law, will be aimed at getting impaired drivers off the road.
The initiative, which begins this Monday, will include a 57-day law enforcement blitz along with an aggressive media campaign. The stepped-up law enforcement presence will include an increased number of sobriety checkpoints and roadblocks statewide along with saturation patrols which will be targeting drunk drivers.
The drunk driving campaign comes as the state prepares to lower the legal level of intoxication from .10 to .08. The new law will take effect July 1.
Once enacted, the punishment for DUI will remain the same with a minimum 48-hour jail stay and minimum $350 fine and one-year license revocation for first offense. However, persons with a .08 blood level would be considered legally too drunk to drive.
Along with a crackdown on drunk driving, the upcoming campaign will also be used to encourage the use of seatbelts and proper restraint for children. Current state law requires use of seatbelts for all front-seat passengers, with a newer version of the law allowing lawmen to make stops in cases where a person under 18 is not wearing a seatbelt. The driver is financially liable if a person under 16 is not properly restrained, while teens 16 and 17 are personally responsible if they are not properly restrained.
Coordinators of the plan with the Tennessee Department of Transportation hope the stepped-up enforcement, along with their educational media campaign, will reduce the number of drunk drivers and deaths on Tennessee roadways.
The initiative is a pilot project funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.