KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Law enforcement will use a new technique called a "No Refusal Weekend" to crack down on impaired drivers during the July 4th holiday, according to the Knox County District Attorney's Office.
All suspected impaired drivers caught during the enforcement weekend will be subject to a blood test to determine alcohol and drug content, the DA's office says in a press release.
Officials say many impaired drivers refuse to submit to a blood alcohol test, hoping to avoid criminal sanctions they could face if they're convicted.
Under the state's implied consent law, the only consequence for refusing to give a blood sample is losing a driver's license for one year.
However Gov. Bill Haslam signed a new law in May that allows officers to seek search warrants for a blood sample if a person arrested for DUI refuses to provide a sample.
Under the new law, officers working with prosecutors can quickly get "blood draw warrants" for drivers who refuse testing, with the approval of a Knox County judicial commissioner or judge.
Once the search warrant is approved, the impaired driver will be taken to a hospital for a blood draw.
