Alcohol-related crashes rise in Tennessee

Tennessee had the sixth highest increase last year compared to 2003, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report. The statistics show a 2.4 percent decrease in such accidents nationally during the same time.

“It’s so hard to pinpoint the reasons why,” said Laura Dial, executive director of Tennessee’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter. “We’ve heard there’s more enforcement, or we just have more drunk drivers. The most important thing this report shows is that we need to do so much more.”

Capt. Mike Walker, director of research, planning and development from the Tennessee Department of Safety, said the report often estimates fatalities.

“Yes, there could have been an increase, but I’d say the statistics are skewed a bit,” Walker said.

Utah saw an 81 percent increase, New Hampshire 39 percent and Arkansas 15 percent, the study found. The District of Columbia had a 56 percent decrease, and Iowa’s alcohol-related crashes declined 25 percent.

This is the first year studied in which every state has a 0.08-percent legal blood-alcohol standard, study organizers said.

“You Drink & Drive, You Lose” is a national campaign with 11,500 local police agencies participating, transportation officials said.

The Labor Day holiday launches the initiative to stop drunk driving with checkpoints, roving patrols and undercover officers.

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Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com