You May Not Be Able To Refuse A DUI Blood Test

(Covington) Law enforcement says it plans on saturating the streets, stepping-up patrols and setting-up checkpoints to make sure no one gets away with drinking and driving this Labor Day weekend.

It’s happening in 16 counties across Tennessee, including Shelby and Tipton county. Covington Police Chief Tim Glass says he’s working the weekend to make sure holiday drivers stay sober.

“If you go out this weekend and get caught for a DUI, you can’t refuse a blood test,” said Glass.

Judges are going to be standing-by to sign search warrants, allowing police to get blood samples from drivers that are suspected to be drunk. All they need is probable cause, like the smell of alcohol, slurred speech or swerving on the road. The no-refusal weekend starts Friday at 6 p.m. and ends midnight Monday, September 3.

The Department of Public Safety is trying to prevent deaths on Tennessee roads, which tend to increase during the holidays.

“It increases because people are off work, they have a long weekend so they participate in cookouts and usually cookouts turn into drinking,” said Glass.

And if you plan on drinking, make sure you get a designated driver because with the no-refusal weekend, prosecutors say your blood will be all the evidence they need to convict you of a DUI.

“Not worth that twenty minutes of fun that you were out drinking,” said Glass.

 DPS says the last time it had a no-refusal weekend was the July 4th weekend. Five counties participated and none of them had any fatal accidents during that time.