EAGLEVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will set up a sobriety checkpoint on Main Street in Eagleville from 10 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, October 24, as part of a focused effort to crack down on impaired driving.

According to Lt. Shawn Boyd with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, troopers and local officers are working together to keep roads safe during a time of growing traffic in the area.“Traffic is picking up in Eagleville with more impaired drivers,” Boyd said. “We’re there to combat the impaired drivers.”

The Rutherford County Traffic Safety Task Force will assist THP troopers during the checkpoint to help identify drivers operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In Tennessee, the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is 0.08% for standard drivers and 0.04% for commercial vehicle operators. Drivers under the age of 21 face zero tolerance, meaning a BAC of 0.02% is illegal.

A recent change in state law, effective July 1, 2024, lowered the BAC threshold for aggravated vehicular crimes to 0.15%, bringing tougher penalties — including a mandatory seven-day jail sentence for first-time offenders.

Law enforcement officials remind the public that a DUI conviction can have serious and lasting consequences. In addition to fines and jail time, offenders may face loss of employment, increased insurance rates, and long-term personal and family embarrassment.

Over the past 12 months, there have been 6,823 DUI-related crashes across Tennessee, according to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, with more than 2,400 of those wrecks occurring in Middle Tennessee.

Local law enforcement urges drivers to plan ahead by designating a sober driver or using a ride service when consuming alcohol. Their message is simple: “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”