Troopers "take back our highways' with roadblocks on The Murfreesboro Post

Sidebar Ads

Troopers "take back our highways' with roadblocks

Related Articles

THP issues Labor Day warning

Funeral arrangements set for Tennessee State Trooper

THP to check driver's licenses and sobriety

Vehicle killing a 7-year-old boy believed Yukon or Sierra

THP sets DUI and driver's license roadblocks

Drivers jump into Stones River to save teen driver

THP to check driver's licenses, drinking drivers

Troopers will conduct checkpoints Friday

Tony Barham promoted to THP captain

THP offers tips for a safe Halloween

View All

By: TMP Reports

Posted: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 10:16 am

Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers in Rutherford County will conduct a driver's license checkpoint from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 31 on Chicken Pike near Almaville Road.

“This is in addition to our saturation of our state highways on the same date in support of the ‘Take Back Our Highways’ initiative set forth by both Tennessee and several other surrounding states,” said Sgt. Rick Smith.

THP is teaming up with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Georgia State Patrol, Florida Highway Patrol and Alabama’s Department of Public Safety as well as local law enforcement agencies across Tennessee, for an intensive joint initiative aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and increasing safety.

During the week of July 25 through Aug.1, nearly every available member of THP, including Col. Mike Walker and his command staff and administrative personnel, will actively patrol the roads during the multi-state safety campaign, called “Take Back Our Highways.”

“The goal of this effort is to save lives,” said Walker. “The public can expect to see a marked increase in the number of law enforcement officers on the road and a concerted effort to ‘Take Back Our Highways’ from aggressive and hazardous drivers. If you’re drinking and driving, speeding, driving erratically or displaying any type of aggressive driving that endangers others, you can expect to see a state trooper or local law enforcement officer.”

During the week-long enforcement period, THP will utilize all available manpower, including members of its Aviation Section, Interdiction Plus teams and Special Programs, to target dangerous drivers on all roadways in Tennessee. Troopers will also conduct sobriety and driver license checkpoints and saturation and line patrols, concentrating on areas prone to crashes. Troopers will target aggressive drivers, impaired drivers, speeders, and drivers who fail to buckle up.

Tennessee State Troopers participated in a similar “Take Back Our Highways” enforcement campaign with Mississippi and Alabama last year during the week of August 18-23. This multi-state effort first began in November 2007 when Colonel J. Christopher Murphy, Director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, suggested the three states work together to ‘Take Back Our Highways.”

“Every time you get behind the wheel, you should buckle up, obey the speed limit and pay close attention to driving safely,” stressed Walker. “This multi-state campaign has real results, and we are proud to join Alabama and Mississippi once again along with Georgia and Florida on this effort.”

This enhanced presence will continue through the end of the summer as THP participates in other safety initiatives, including a nation-wide campaign, “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” This annual crack down runs August 21 through the Labor Day holiday weekend. Preliminary figures show that 489 people have been killed on Tennessee roadways in 2009. That is down from 553 fatalities at this same time a year ago.

Tagged under THP, traffic enforcement

Member Opinions:

By: Boo on 7/29/09
You Go Guys!!!

By: devolver on 7/30/09
“The goal of this effort is to save lives,” said Walker. “The public can expect to see a marked increase in the number of law enforcement officers on the road and a concerted effort to ‘Take Back Our Highways’ from aggressive and hazardous drivers. If you’re drinking and driving, speeding, driving erratically or displaying any type of aggressive driving that endangers others, you can expect to see a state trooper or local law enforcement officer.”

....By the way, we'll be right [HERE] at [THIS TIME], in case, ya know, you want to completely avoid us.

Aside from the stupidity of announcing where and when you'll be setting up a roadblock, I would say that MOST people who drive have drivers license, and its largely THAT group that causes accidents and, in general, can't drive worth flip. Just sayin', roadblocks are a waste of time and tax payers money.

(addendum: I can see reason and logic behind extremely specific roadblocks, such as those that occur around MTSU post-prom.)

By: attagirl on 7/31/09
devolver, the law REQUIRES roadblocks to be announced. There is good reason behind it, but instead of giving you a law lesson here, I'd suggest you look it up.