St. Patrick's Day kicks off State-Wide DUI Checkpoints for the season,

[Guest RobThatsMe]

Hi,

Just a reminder that this coming weekend, March 17th, kicks off the statewide DUI Checkpoints.

Carry safely.

The Roadblock sites should be posted in your local newspaper. You can google for the locations.

Rob

http://www.wtvf.com/...ttype=printable

Edited March 11, 2012 by RobThatsMe

[Guest GregK]

I didnt know they posted where they will be set up??

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Another waste of money.

[Murgatroy]

Another waste of money.

Having lost a beloved family member to a drunk driver, I don't think sobriety check points are a waste of money at all.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Sorry to hear about your family member, but I doubt a sobriety checkpoint would have mattered much.

That's just my personal opinion, and there are probably better ways to catch a drunk, if there are any

at all. I would imagine that maybe somewhere there are statistics that would show the effectiveness,

but those checkpoints are, in my opinion, just PR.

Very sorry for your loss.

[Mike.357]

if they really wanted to catch DUI's a stakeout on any number of bars at closing time would yield better results. Of course doing that is most likely illegal.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Benton County used to do that about a mile or so down the road from a popular bar on 70.

It wasn't as much a roadblock as it was a bunch of cops sitting next to the pavement flagging

drunk to the side and doing their job. I have no problem with that.

[DavidD]

I think it's more about reminding people that there will be consequences. I too don't have a problem with it, just wish they wouldn't advertise the locations in advance.

[Murgatroy]

Sorry to hear about your family member, but I doubt a sobriety checkpoint would have mattered much.

That's just my personal opinion, and there are probably better ways to catch a drunk, if there are any

at all. I would imagine that maybe somewhere there are statistics that would show the effectiveness,

but those checkpoints are, in my opinion, just PR.

Very sorry for your loss.

I understand to a degree where you are coming from.

I am sure there are better ways to catch drunk drivers. Sitting at the exit of the parkinglot to a bar would be one. But that would be entrapment. Expecting folks to make the right decision while still sober would be another.

I am not sure what the answer is. Harsher sentencing? But then again, those that will break the laws, will break them. Consequences be damned. How many repeat offenders are there for DUI? How many of those habitual DUI offenders even have a license?

Now, I am not screaming that habitual offenders need to be locked up for life. I am not screaming that alcohol is bad and should be illegal.

I am not sure what the right answer is. But if a sobriety check point gets a drunk driver off of the road and saves a single life, then I don't think it was money wasted at all. But that would be a hard statistic to track wouldn't it? With the driver sitting in cuffs and not driving.

With all the money being wasted hand over fist, I don't think a sobriety checkpoint is at the top of that list.

[Curiousgb]

http://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Impaired_Driving/checkpoint.html

http://www.policeone.com/police-products/traffic-enforcement/breathalyzers/articles/1712327-Research-questions-effectiveness-of-sobriety-checkpoints/

Two interesting articles.

[TMF]

The effectiveness of sobriety checkpoints might not be as tangible as other means of catching drunks, but the media campaign leading up to booze holidays which warns of checkpoints serves as a deterrent. Maybe there are plenty of folks that decide to plan for a DD or cab ride because the know there will be checkpoints. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that this happens.

The problem is people want tangible results that can be represented in a chart or something. Usually preventative measures are harder to prove in regards to results. If I put a 100 lb pit bull in my front yard is he protecting my property or is he preventing folks from choosing to trespass? If no one comes into my yard over the course of the dog's life I can't prove it was because of the pit bull, but it's pretty obvious that he had a hand in it. There is no definitive way to prove that sobriety checkpoints save lives, but it isn't a stretch to make that assumption.

[mikegideon]

Sobriety checkpoints may be the ONLY way to catch some "drunk" drivers.

[Guest Torrin]

if they really wanted to catch DUI's a stakeout on any number of bars at closing time would yield better results. Of course doing that is most likely illegal.

It has been tried and the convictions overturned. There is no easy solution to this, but check points are a bad way to go about it in my opinion.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

It is a difficult topic, any way you look at it, and I would be glad to get all the drunk

drivers off the road. PR doesn't mean anything to me as far as the police hanging out

on a highway. They have enough to do, and with the way Oak Ridge cops seem to be

finding drunks lately, I'm glad they are doing their job in this situation. Some people

seem to understand and utilize individual accountability, and there will always be a

certain group that will think they are invincible and won't until they are caught by an

observant cop. Then there are those who will always slip through the cracks and not

get caught until they do damage to another party. It's that way in most situations.

I made that comment earlier understanding that cops are usually understaffed and

over utilized already. That's something that is unlikely to ever get corrected.

Once again, Murgatroy, I cannot stress how regretful I feel about your loss. I wish

there was a better way to stop this problem, other than a continuing increase of the

police state. Some drunks just won't give up and let someone else take them home.

PR has it's value, but I'll guarantee you the drunk will mostly be nowhere near those

roadblocks.

I went through one on Christmas day evening at Pleasant View getting on I-24 and those

cops were definitely looking. I always stop and yak with them because they are good folks

trying to do something positive. But I usually yak with most cops anyway. It's better that

they know you and know someone appreciates them being there.

[sbroomheadsr]

How racist can the state be? As an Irish-American, I am appalled.

What would the outcry be if this started on MLK day or the beginning of black history month? Or on Ramadan? Or on Passover?

What am I going to do about it? Not sure but I'll think about over a couple of drinks.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[NRA]

How racist can the state be? As an Irish-American, I am appalled.

What would the outcry be if this started on MLK day or the beginning of black history month? Or on Ramadan? Or on Passover?

What am I going to do about it? Not sure but I'll think about over a couple of drinks.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk