The Tennessee Highway Patrol is launching their Holiday Safety Enforcement Campaign with the goal of preventing serious crashes and fatalities.
“We want to do our part to make sure that everyone gets to where they’re going safely. We don’t want anybody to be involved in serious injury or fatal crash,” said Tennessee Highway Patrol Col. Matt Perry.
THP is focused on reducing impaired driving, speeding and distracted driving during the holidays.
“We know everybody has got somewhere they need to to be, slow down and get there safe you may be a few minutes late,” Perry said. “Then there’s a lot of people where it can be a stressful time as much as it can be a happy time.”
If you are attending a holiday celebration, THP encourages folks to plan ahead by designating a sober driver or use a rideshare service.
“Obviously it’s a busy time of year, you’re attending holiday parties and work events and you know probably more than normal,” Perry said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 281 drunk driving-related deaths during the Christmas and New Year holiday period in 2022. THP will be ramping up patrols in all 95 counties in an effort to prevent this.
“We’re going to throw everything we have at it,” Perry said. “All of our troopers across the state will be out there trying to make the roadway safer.”
At the end of the day, THP says their goal is to make sure everyone gets to their holiday plans safely.
