Posted in Drunk Driving,Tennessee Accident Law on August 22, 2017
Metro Nashville Police’s records indicate that the police department has arrested 1,220 individuals for DUI since Jan. 1, 2017—almost the same number through the same date in 2016.
Per a report by WKRN.com, the data was through August 12. Through the same time in 2016, Metro officers arrested 1,225 individuals for DUI. While the number of arrests has stayed steady, the locations where they’re occurring has changed.
The central precinct of Nashville, which includes downtown Nashville and top-party spots like Broadway and 2nd Avenue have seen a drop in DUIs of around 50 percent. Officers with the MNPD believe that this drop may be due to the increased usage of ride-sharing services, including Lyft and Uber.
However, arrests in the Madison precinct have nearly doubled since last year. In 2016, there were 92 DUI arrests in that area, but there have been 172 DUI arrests through mid-August 2017. The Madison precinct encompasses a large section of northeast Nashville, including the area of Goodlettsville.
4 Common Signs of Intoxicated or Impaired Driving
Officers with the MNPD and other law enforcement agencies in Tennessee are always on the lookout for drivers who are intoxicated or impaired. When drivers 21 years old or older get behind the wheel with blood alcohol contents that are 0.08 percent or higher, they can be arrested for DUI. Drivers under the age of 21 can be arrested if they have any amount of alcohol in their bloodstreams.
To quickly and accurately identify drunk and impaired drivers, police, sheriff’s deputies, and state troopers watch for the following signs:
Law enforcement officers report that failure to maintain a lane is present in about 35 percent of all DUI arrests and traffic stops. When drivers are intoxicated or impaired, they may find it difficult to keep their vehicles in a proper lane position without drifting into other lanes or the shoulder of the road. When a vehicle begins weaving, the chance that the driver is intoxicated rises to around 50 percent.
Most drivers maintain a steady speed and brake appropriately when they reach intersections or turns. However, impaired drivers often have difficulty driving at or just below the speed limit, and they suddenly accelerate and brake—even when no other vehicles are near them on the road. When they come to a stop, their vehicle may be well in front of or behind the white line at an intersection.
Being aware of the space your vehicle occupies is essential for safe driving. It requires experience and the use of mirrors and head checks to get a good sense for how a vehicle occupies a lane and how much room it needs when turning. When drivers are intoxicated, they may lose this ability, putting them at risk of striking objects or parked vehicles, driving onto curbs, or driving too closely to other vehicles.
People who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs suffer from impaired judgment and even impaired vision. That can make it difficult for them to read street signs or remember to do routine driving tasks. When law enforcement officers see vehicles at night without their headlights on, making illegal U-turns, driving down a wrong-way street in the wrong direction, or running red lights and stop signs, they may pull the vehicle over for suspicion of DUI.
The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security reports that there have been 3,066 alcohol-related accidents in the state through July 2017. Annually, there have been anywhere from 6,200 to nearly 8,000 alcohol-related crashes in Tennessee every year since 2007, with many of those crashes resulting in serious injuries and even death.
At Matt Hardin Law, we appreciate the efforts that law enforcement officers throughout the state make to get drunk and impaired drivers off Tennessee’s roadways. Too often, innocent lives are forever changed because of drivers who should have never gotten behind the wheel.
If you or someone you know was hurt in an auto accident that was caused by an intoxicated driver, our Nashville drunk driving accident lawyers are here for you. We have helped many innocent victims over the years, and we know how to build strong claims that maximize chances of obtaining compensation. Call us today at (615) 200-1111 or complete a free online consultation form.
