But his officers will be out looking for impaired drivers during the Memorial Day holiday weekend in hopes of preventing wrecks and tragedies.
“Please don’t drink and drive,” Roberson said. “If you are going to drink, have someone with you who can drive you. Or go and drink and don’t leave. Stay there.”
Sgt. Gary Conaway of the Floyd County Police Department said officers will be out conducting road checks and concentrated patrols during the holiday weekend, which runs through midnight on Tuesday, May 31.
Members of the Floyd County Police Department participated in a regional press conference Thursday — with law enforcement from the 10 counties that make up the Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network — to launch the latest “Click It or Ticket” campaign. They promised high-visibility safety belt checkpoints and concentrated patrol activity through June 5.
They also reminded motorists of a new child-safety law, which requires children to be restrained in a child passenger safety seat until they are eight years old.
Sheriff Tim Burkhalter offers several safety tips for drivers during the busy holiday, asking drivers to put down their cell phones and to be prepared for emergencies when traveling.
“Take a map, atlas, or GPS device; make sure your spare tire is inflated, and you know how to change it,” Burkhalter said. “Have your car serviced before heading out.”
He also advised motorists to include an emergency kit with water and snacks in case they’re stranded for more than a few hours, and to refuel before the gas warning light comes on.
Neither reasonable suspicion or probable cause is present. The road blocks are set up and cars are stopped either randomly or every car is stopped. I should not in the absence of reasonable suspicion or probable cause be forced to "present my papers" as a condition of driving on state highways for which I pay taxes to upkeep.
Additionally, though I am in agreement that when someone is pulled over after giving reasonable suspicion of a crime or actually violating the law and doesn't possess a license or is driving under the influence,they should be cited or arrested as the case may be, the possibility that an unlicensed or impaired driver being among those on the highway does NOT justify these roadblocks.