More DUI arrests in Tennessee this year and this holiday
In a recent meeting, Tennessee’s Commissioner of Safety and Homeland Security Bill Gibbons discussed some of his predictions about state arrests during 2012. In the state, drunk driving is already taken seriously and law enforcement focus reflects that.
The reflection of how seriously the state takes DUI cases has supposedly intensified in 2012. According to Gibbons, significantly more people have been arrested for drunk driving this year than in previous years. That means it is more important than ever for citizens to understand their legal rights in order to protect themselves from what is likely to remain a high risk of being pulled over for DUI.
Motivating the increase of DUI patrols in the state supposedly is the desire to decrease the rate of drunken driving accidents. About one-third of fatal traffic accidents in Tennessee per year are attributed to drinking and driving.
While safety is a priority behind increased DUI enforcement, there is also a state’s desire to be able to boast about how it is hard on drunk drivers and also to bring in any money connected to DUI arrests. Gibbons says that when the drunk driving arrests are added up after the end of the year, it will reflect an estimated 65 percent increase.
The holiday season is upon us. It is perfect timing for all drivers to remember that Tennessee police are looking for any sign that someone might be driving under the influence. Patrols will be out in full force this week and basically through the New Year, probably looking to meet that predicted increase in DUI arrests this that Gibbons predicts.
Source: The Commercial Appeal, “Numbers help drive Tennessee safety, Gibbons says,” Michael Lollar, Nov. 14, 2012