THP uses No Refusal Campaign
This video is no longer available.
CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn. – Officials were refusing to take “no” as an answer when doing sobriety checks during the Labor Day weekend. A new enforcement effort by the state had highway patrol officers and judges cracking down on impaired drivers through the holiday. “It’s the law, and if you’re not supposed to do it, then don’t do it!” said Levander Steward. More than 3,500 people have already been arrested this year for being impaired behind the wheel. The “No Refusal” effort is the state’s latest strategy to try and prevent drinking and driving, along with fatal crashes. The new law, passed this year allows law enforcement officials to seek search warrant by an on-call judge for blood samples in suspected drivers. State troopers said they were aggressively seeking out violators and removing them from state roads. In Tennessee, the number of alcohol-related crashes has increased 8.7 percent in the first seven months of 2012 compared to the year 2011. Officials reported that alcohol and seat belt usage are contributing factors in too many crashes. In 2012, more than 650 people have died on Tennessee roadways.
