Increases in DUI arrests
Drivers who live in Tennessee and the surrounding areas may be interested to learn that the Tennessee Highway Safety Office recognized the members of the La Vergne Police Department for their DUI enforcement efforts in November and awarded them the 2016 DUI Enforcement Award. A total number of 244 people were arrested for driving under the influence, a 41.1 percent increase for arrest compared to the number for 2015.
Arrests for driving under the influence due to alcohol consumption increased by 38.5 percent while arrests related to drugged driving rose by 78.8 percent. The number of drivers who were arrested for driving under the influence because of both alcohol and drugs increased by 32.3 percent.
The La Vergne Police Department intends to continue to combat driving while under the influence. This will be accomplished using alcohol saturation patrols, sobriety checkpoints and traffic enforcement to identify drivers who are drugged or drunk.
According to the police chief, improved training has resulted in more arrests for driving under the influence because of drugs besides ethyl alcohol. More arrests are also made for intoxicated driving as a result of ethyl alcohol mixed with other drugs.
Individuals who get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs are putting themselves and other individuals on the road at risk. They also risk being charged with serious driving offenses that can result in significant, long-lasting penalties.
An attorney who practices criminal law may assist individuals who are facing drunk driving charges. Ensuring that a client’s rights were protected during every step of an arrest, working to get the charges reduced or reversed and negotiating a plea deal are some of the services the attorney may provide.