Preliminary 2008 Labor Day Holiday Fatalities

Nashville, Tennessee --- The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will be out in force this Labor Day weekend, cracking down on drivers who break the law. The Labor Day holiday weekend begins Friday, August 29, at 6 p.m., and ends Monday, September 1, at 11:59 p.m.

More than 80 sobriety and driver license checkpoints are scheduled across the state over the long weekend. Troopers will also participate in saturation patrols to increase their visibility, and ultimately save lives.

“We want everyone to reach their destination safely this Labor Day holiday, and we’re confident these efforts will help us reach that goal,” said Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell. “Drivers tend to slow down and obey traffic laws when they know an officer is watching.”

The Tennessee Department of Safety is also teaming up with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and other law enforcement agencies across the nation this weekend in the aggressive crackdown on impaired drivers, Booze It and Lose It!, as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s national campaign called: Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In Tennessee in 2006, 439 people were killed in crashes where the driver or motorcyclist had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Over the 2007 Labor Day holiday, 17 people were killed on Tennessee roadways.

“Labor Day weekend is a time to relax and have fun, but we want everyone to play it safe and designate a sober driver,” stated THP Colonel Mike Walker. “Make no mistake, if we catch you driving impaired, you will be arrested. No exceptions. No excuses.”

A listing of all scheduled holiday driver license and sobriety checkpoints is available at this link: 2008 Labor Day Checkpoints

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is (www.tennessee.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.