The Tennessee Highway Safety Office has issued a stark warning ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, highlighting the day as one of the most dangerous due to an increase in impaired driving. With a history of higher rates of driver impairment in fatal crashes, particularly at night during the holiday, law enforcement agencies are taking action to protect the public.
Sgt. Austin Watson of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office is spearheading “Operation Spring Slow Down,” an initiative designed to reduce traffic fatalities by focusing on impaired driving prevention. Officers from the Rutherford County Traffic Safety Task Force, including Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and MTSU Police, as well as sheriff’s deputies, will be working overtime. Their efforts will center on Interstate 24, from 6 p.m. to midnight on St. Patrick’s Day, to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
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The primary aim of this operation is to diminish the number of impaired drivers on the road during one of the year’s most notorious nights for drinking and driving. Sgt. Watson emphasized the importance of making responsible choices, urging those who plan to partake in St. Patrick’s Day festivities to either appoint a designated driver, utilize ride-sharing services, or simply celebrate at home.
This concerted effort by law enforcement is a proactive measure to combat the traditionally high incidence of impaired driving associated with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The Tennessee Highway Safety Office and participating agencies are dedicated to ensuring that the festivities do not result in preventable tragedies on the road.
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