State troopers are stepping up DUI enforcement over the Labor Day weekend. The Tennessee Highway Patrol will join a nationwide enforcement effort for which a slogan has been coined - "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over." Local law enforcement agencies and several groups are also supporting the extra vigilance, among them Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Governor's Highway Safety Office. One State Trooper told us…
The enhanced enforcement begins at 6 p.m. Friday and lasts through Monday. During the same weekend in 2010, there were 10 traffic fatalities in Tennessee. There were 11 over Labor Day weekend in 2009. Statistics show the highest percentage of alcohol-related traffic deaths are among drivers 21 to 24 years old. In 2009, 37 of the 138 motorcycle riders killed in Tennessee highway crashes had been drinking.
