Shelby County Sheriff’s Office to conduct two sobriety checkpoints | Transportation

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will conduct two sobriety checkpoints on Friday, Feb. 1 to enforce the “More Cops, More Stops” initiative.

The first checkpoint will be conducted at Riverdale and Holmes from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and the second will be at Hacks Cross and Holmes from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. in Shelby County.

Impaired driving is a serious crime that kills more than 16,000 people and injures 305,000 others every year in the United States.

27 percent of those killed in motor vehicle crashes on Tennessee’s highways during 2011 involved drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or above at the time of their deadly crash.

Teens and young adults are particularly at risk.

In 2011, 35 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in Tennessee involved a driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .08 or higher.

Officers will evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment.

Officers will target those who operate a vehicle while impaired and take corrective actions for other violations observed while ensuring the protection of all motorists.

This checkpoint will be 100% funded with federal grant dollars in the amount of $200,000. This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office.