TENNESSEE, USA — Saint Patrick's Day is on Sunday, March 17 and authorities are asking people to have a sober ride for the weekend.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol released a report on recent crashes in the state from 2022 to 2024. In 2023, March had the third most amount of crashes involving driving under the influence in Tennessee.
According to the report, there were 878 crashes in Knox County last March. 33 of those crashes involved a drunk driver. So far this month, there have been 279 total crashes with 12 of them involving a drunk driver.
Altogether there were 344 crashes involving alcohol in Knox County in 2023. Since 2012, Knox County has had over 4,000 known alcohol-related traffic crashes.
THP said troopers would be holding checkpoints throughout March to ensure safety on the roads.
The Knoxville Police Department is also conducting a sobriety checkpoint on March 22 in East Knoxville.
KPD said the purpose of the checkpoint is to deter impaired driving, prevent serious or fatal crashes and increase public awareness of the consequences of driving while under the influence. During the checkpoint, officers will check motorists for signs of alcohol or drug impairment.
Alcohol or drug impairment possibly contributed to over 43% of the fatal crashes that happened in Knoxville in 2022, according to KPD.
