THP to perform ‘no-refusal’ campaign in Hardin Co. during holiday weekend

HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. — Drivers suspected of being under the influence in Hardin County during the holiday weekend will find themselves subject to the state’s “no-refusal” traffic enforcement.

The no-refusal enforcement allows officers to seek search warrants for blood samples in cases involving suspected impaired drivers, according to a release from the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting no-refusal campaigns in one county in each of the state’s eight THP districts. Hardin County was chosen in the Jackson district.

The New Year’s Eve holiday period begins at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and ends at 11:59 p.m. Monday.

State troopers will perform saturation patrols, seat belt, sobriety and driver’s license checkpoints as well as bar/tavern checks during the holiday.

During last year’s New Year’s holiday period, nine people were killed in nine traffic crashes on Tennessee roadways, according to the release. Of the nine vehicular fatalities, eight were vehicle occupants and one was a pedestrian. Alcohol was involved in three of the traffic deaths, while four of the eight vehicle occupants killed were not wearing seat belts.

State troopers have arrested 7,726 individuals for alcohol-impaired driving from Jan. 1 through Dec. 28, 2015. In 2014, the number of arrests made during that time was 8,330.

All of Tennessee’s 95 counties will have troopers working to ensure a safe holiday.

For more information, visit www.tn.gov/safety.