Safety Checkpoint Conducted

A Safety/Sobriety Checkpoint was conducted by the Oak Ridge Police Department on Saturday, August 30, 2003 on the Oak Ridge Turnpike by Big Turtle Park. The checkpoint was conducted from 11:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Lt. Darwin Cox of the Clinton Police Department and Deputy J.C. Parrott of the Anderson County Sheriff’s office also participated. Don Moody, an employee of the Governor’s Highway Safety Office, is involved in a research project for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He collected data for this project at the checkpoint. This data were obtained by strictly voluntary and anonymous breath testing. Mr. Moody will compare these results to the results that were collected during a checkpoint this past spring. The findings will show how many drivers were actually driving under the influence of alcohol while going through the checkpoints.

Approximately, 137 vehicles were stopped and checked for proper and current registration. If the driver agreed, they were asked to blow into an intoximeter. No name or identification was put with the sample. The police officers checked the occupants for proper seat belt usage and advised them accordingly. No arrests were made, although a field sobriety test was conducted. One citation was issued for an expired registration and two orders for equipment repair were issued.

Officer John Kelly, the district coordinator for the T.E.S.T. - Traffic Enforcement Safety Team - Network hopes to conduct checkpoints once a month, rotating the locations around the county. Several organizations, as well as the member agencies, were asked to assist with this checkpoint and with future ones. RID was the only organization present. “Working together to save lives is our goal,” explains Officer Kelly.