KPD e-News Release: Kingsport Police to Hold Sobriety Checkpoint Concurrent with THSO Booze It & Lose It Campaign

	Kingsport Police Department David Quillin, Chief of Police 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 • www.KingsportPDBlog.com
NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT:		Kingsport Police to Hold Sobriety Checkpoint Concurrent with THSO Booze It & Lose It Campaign
DATE:		August 12, 2019

GENERAL NARRATIVE
The Kingsport Police Department has once again partnered with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) by participating in their annual Booze It & Lose It Campaign. The campaign encourages participating agencies to step up their education and enforcement efforts surrounding impaired driving. This year’s Booze It & Lose It campaign runs from August 16 until September 2, 2019, encompassing the Labor Day holiday weekend, which is statistically one of the deadliest weekends of the year, with impaired drivers endangering themselves and others on America’s roadways. As an integral component of this campaign, and in the ongoing effort to reduce the problem of Driving Under the Influence and resulting crashes, injuries, and deaths, the Kingsport Police Department will be conducting a Sobriety Checkpoint on Friday, August 23, 2019. This Checkpoint will be held at an undisclosed time and location within the city limits of Kingsport. Beyond the risk of serious injury or death associated with impaired driving, being convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs can impact your life in many ways, including loss of employment, prevention of employment in certain jobs, higher insurance rates, serious financial setbacks, personal and family embarrassment, and incarceration. The Kingsport Police Department continues to stress that Tennessee D.U.I. laws apply not just to alcohol, but to any substance that impairs the ability to drive, including illegal drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, as well as prescription drugs, even if they are prescribed by a physician. The Kingsport Police Department is stressing the dangers of driving impaired to our community. Impaired driving is a massive problem in the United States, with more than 10,000 people dying annually. If you are out on the roads and you see someone driving impaired, please report it. You could help save a life. The Kingsport Police Department recommends the following safe alternatives to drinking and driving: Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you have only had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely. Download the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) SaferRide mobile app available on Google Play for Android devices and Apple’s iTunes Store for IOS devices. SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up. Call a cab or a friend. Use community sober ride programs if available. If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the Kingsport Police Department. Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely. Remember…Booze It & Lose It. Lose your license, your freedom, your life! To download the NHTSA SaferRide app, visit: https://one.NHTSA.gov/link/SaferRide For more information about the THSO, visit: www.TNTrafficSafety.org.