NASHVILLE (WATE) - Tennessee will hold its second No Refusal enforcement campaign over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday.
The enforcement effort begins at 6:00 p.m. Friday and ends at midnight on Monday.
No Refusal is the latest law enforcement strategy aimed at preventing impaired driving and reducing fatal crashes in Tennessee.
A new law the Legislature passed this year allows law enforcement to seek search warrants for blood samples in cases involving suspected impaired drivers.
Five counties participated in the first No Refusal campaign during July 4th weekend. Officials said there were no fatalities in those counties.
The Labor Day effort will expand to 16 counties where impaired driving and fatal crashes have increased this year.
Those counties include:
- Roane
- Campbell
- McMinn
- Meigs
- Robertson
- Rutherford
- Shelby
- Tipton
- Jefferson
- Sullivan
- Cumberland
- Warren
- Bedford
- Lincoln
- Chester
- Weakley
The preliminary number of alcohol-related crashes has increased 8.7 percent in Tennessee through the first seven months of this year, compared to the same period last year.
During this time, there were 2,995 crashes involving impaired drivers. That's 240 more than during the same time in 2011.
State troopers arrested 3,557 people for impaired driving from January 1-August 13 of this year. Last year, they arrested 2,757 during that time. The numbers show a 29 percent increase.
Motorists can also expect sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols in other counties over the Labor Day weekend.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is partnering with local and state officials and highway safety advocates, including the Governor's Highway Safety Office and Mothers Against Drunk Driving for the No Refusal period.
