Dayton, TN –Rhea County Sheriff’s Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) to increase impaired-driving enforcement from December 14, 2018, to January 1, 2019, surrounding the holiday season. The THSO’s statewide Booze It and Lose It campaign is part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over nationwide mobilization.
The Sheriff’s Department will focus their efforts on Alcohol and Traffic Enforcement targeting alcohol and speed violations for the upcoming holidays.
In an effort to ensure the safety of the public, the sheriff’s office will be enforcing a Zero Tolerance Policy on, drunk and impaired driving, speeding and seat belt violations.
Sheriff Mike Neal stated “The hardest part of the job is making that house call and telling a family that their loved one is gone because someone chose to drink and drive. That’s why, we will show zero tolerance for impaired drivers on the road. Please find a safe and sober ride home.”
Increased state and national messaging about the dangers of drunk driving, coupled with increased sobriety checkpoints and high visibility enforcement, aim to drastically reduce the number of drunk-driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities this year.
“We ask all Tennesseans to please drive safely this holiday season,” said THSO Director Vic Donoho. “Our state and local law enforcement partners will be out in full force to secure Tennessee roadways. We want everyone to make it home safely, so please designate a sober driver.”
The consequences of a single DUI conviction for a first-time offender in the state of Tennessee may include costly fines, court costs, legal fees, jail time, mandatory drug and alcohol treatment, and/or the installation of an ignition interlock device in his/her vehicle.
The THSO provides grant funding to support Rhea County Sheriff’s Department’s increased enforcement efforts during the Booze It and Lose It holiday campaign. For more information about the THSO, please visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.
