It’s an annual ritual: people wear emerald clothes, try their hand at lilting Irish accents and tip a green beer at an Irish pub. While St. Patrick’s Day traditions can be fun, there’s another annual ritual of which you should be aware: the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Chattanooga Police Department put extra cars and officers on the streets to look for and arrest people suspected of drunk driving.
News sources report that THP will have extra officers on highways and roads across the state to conduct sobriety checkpoints. Troopers also keep a close eye on vehicles that exceed speed limits and they also check to see if people are using seatbelts.
Because St. Patty’s Day falls on Sunday this year, it is likely that the Chattanooga police and THP will put much of their efforts into Saturday night DUI enforcement, though they are also expected to have extra cruisers and cops out on Sunday, of course.
For many people, St. Patrick’s Day serves as an unofficial launch of spring – and spring break for college students.
AAA Tennessee is again offering its Tow-to-Go program statewide. It begins Friday and ends Sunday, the auto club said in a statement. By calling AAA, you can have a tow truck take you and your vehicle somewhere safe within a 10-mile radius.
The program is offered in both Tennessee and Georgia this weekend. Call (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246 to make use of Tow-to-Go.
Anyone facing a drunk driving charge should decline to speak to a prosecutor until they have discussed their options with an attorney experienced in DUI defense.
