The Fairfield Glade Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office in the “Booze it and Lose It” campaign to reduce impaired-driving during the New Years week.
Fairfield Glade Police Department Patrol Captain Fred Sherrill said the number of impaired drivers tends to go up during the holiday season, as people usually attend parties and proceed to make poor choices under the influence. Sherill said the department will increase patrols this holiday season to make sure your holiday travel is safer.
“One in three crashes out there have a DUI in them,” Sherrill said. “So what we are wanting to do is just try to get the word out, and we are going to be out doing what we can do to, you know, make drivers choose better.”
Sherrill said the consequences of a single DUI for a first-time offender can include costly fines, driver’s license suspension, jail time, or even worse, losing your life or killing someone else. Sherrill said he advises people to have a plan in place to avoid driving impaired.
“Call somebody to come and get you, or designate a driver if you are going to be out drinking, you know, celebrating the holidays and that kind of stuff,” Sherrill said. “Just pre-arrange and make a plan.”
Sherill said the “Booze and Lose It” campaign has been quite successful statewide over the past couple of years.
“As a state, right now we are 142 fatals less than where we were last year, which is tremendous,” Sherrill said. “In Cookeville itself, we are down 20. So I mean, we always strive to be below a thousand, but right now, as of this morning, we were at 1,003 for the state.”
Sherill said the goal is to keep reducing the number of fatal crashes caused by impaired-drivers. Sherill said he asks that people be mindful of others when they get behind the wheel.