The Tennessee Highway Patrol periodically sets up sobriety checkpoints to ensure drivers are operating their vehicles safely and within the law, as do most states in the United States. One would think that these would be surprise operations to catch inebriated drivers by surprise, but actually, the THP has issued ample fair warning ahead of time by providing a schedule of where the roadblocks will be set up and when.
Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting sobriety checkpoints
The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), which falls under the auspices of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, will be holding sobriety checkpoints through the month of February 2025 across several locations and counties and anyone nabbed driving under the influence of alcohol beyond the legal limit or prohibited substances will face the law.
Impaired driving is a serious crime that kills more than 16,000 people and another 305,000 are injured in the US each year. Drivers must be prepared to be tested for signs of impairment due to alcohol or drugs.
The initiative is aimed at making the roads safe for all users and reminding drivers that there are consequences for making poor decisions while drinking, such as jail time, fines, or license confiscation. Such visible, large-scale operations have been effective in curbing driving while inebriated across the country in the past.
Checkpoints are effective in making the roads safer for all
The THP is playing more than fair and has provided a detailed list of locations, times, and dates where drivers will run into sobriety checkpoints. The operations will be carried out between Sunday, February 9 to Friday, 28 February.
The checkpoints are not limited to sobriety testing. Corrective action may also be taken for other violations (such as driving in the wrong lane) and troopers are mandated to conduct assessment duties as at any time on the roads.
The full schedule of checkpoints in Madison County has been issued
The Tennessee Highway Patrol has made a list available online for all checkpoints planned for February. Below you will find the date, followed by the county, then the location.
Knoxville District 1
- February 7: Knox – SR 33 (Maryville Pike), Mt Olive Church
- February 7: Roane – US 70, Caney Creek Road
- February 7: Anderson – SR 330 (Frost Bottom Rd), Dutch Valley Road
- February 8: Knox – SR 62 (Oak Ridge Hwy), Karns Valley
- February 21: Knox – Cherokee Trail, Cherokee Bluff Drive
- February 28: Campbell Demory Road – White Bridge
Chattanooga District 2
- February 6: McMinn – Hwy 411, Polk County line
- February 7: Sequatchie – SR 127, Hall Rd
- February 7: Coffee – Wattendorf Memorial Hwy, Decherd Hwy
- February 9: Hamilton – Cherokee Blvd, Motel
- February 14: Hamilton – Thrasher Pike
- February 14: Bradley – Benton Pike, APD 40
- February 14: Coffee – US Hwy 41, Asbury Rd
- February 14: Meigs – Cottonport Rd, Goodfield Creek Bridge
- February 21: Hamilton – Gann Rd, Middle Valley Rd
- February 21: Sequatchie – SR-111, two-mile marker
- February 21: Polk – Sloans Gap, Old Federal Rd
- February 21: Coffee – Bible Crossing, Old Estill Springs Rd
- February 27: Rhea – Hwy 30, TN River
- February 28: Hamilton – West 37th near Charger Dr
Nashville District 3
- February 27: Cheatham – Hwy 49 West, Bluff Creek Rd
- February 28: Williamson – Hwy 31, just south of Davidson
- February 28: Houston – Hwy 149, Buckeye Road
Memphis District 4
- February 3: Lauderdale – SR 19, Charles Griggs St
- February 7: Shelby – US 70/79, Tdot West of Mary Alice Drive
- February 7: Crockett – Old Jackson Road, East of Joe Edwards Rd
- February 14: Fayette – State Route 76 North
- February 17: Hardeman – State Route 100 West of Vildo Road
- February 20: Tipton – SR 384 south of SR 59 East
- February 21: Shelby – SR 204 south of Pleasant Ridge
Fall Branch District 5
- February 7: Sullivan – SR 93 .2 south of Lonestar Rd
- February 21: Claiborne – SR 63 near Harrogate Industrial Drive
- February 21: Unicoi – Unicoi Drive, Wiseman’s
- February 21: Hawkins – SR 66 near the Rock Cut
- February 28: Hawkins – SR 70 near the top of Clinch Mountain, Little War Gap
- February 28: Hamblen – SR 66, Dr, MLK Jr Pkwy near SR 160
Cookeville District 6
- February 7: Cannon – SR 53 south of one-mile marker
- February 9: Putnam – SR 290, Hyder Burks Pavilion
- February 14: Smith – Hwy 80, two-mile marker
- February 14: Pickett – Hwy 111 south, Cherry Tree Ln
- February 21: Putnam – Hwy 62 near the 10-mile marker
- February 28: Pickett – Clark Mtn Rd, Faix Rd
Lawrenceburg District 7
- February 1: Lincoln – SR 50 at the 15.8-mile marker
- February 7: Bedford SR 82 south, 6.5-mile marker
- February 7: Wayne S.R. 114, 0-mile marker (Hardin County line)
- February 14: Lincoln U.S. Highway 64, 15.7-mile marker (Wilson Pkwy)
- February 14: Perry S.R. 13 North 0.1 miles north of 29-mile marker
- February 21: Lewis – US Hwy 412, two miles east of the one-mile marker
- February 28: Bedford- US 41A North/SR, 16.9 miles south of the three-mile marker
- February 28: Hickman – SR 46, Hickman and Dickson line
Jackson District 8
- February 7: Gibson – (27H) State Route 152, east of Tinsley Rd
- February 9: Madison – 57K US 412 W, three-mile marker
- February 9: Carroll – (09-D) US 70A West of SR 22 bypass
- February 14: Weakley – (92A) US Hwy 45, Weakley/Gibson County Line
- February 14: Henderson – SR 22, four mile-marker (Center Hill Loop)
- February 14: Henderson – SR 104, 18-mile marker
- February 15: Obion – US Highway 45E, McConnell Rd
- February 21: Madison – 57K SR 18S, Medon
- February 21: Henry – (40-D) US 79, Steele Rd
- February 21: Dyer – SR 211, 0.5 miles north of five-mile marker
Remember that if you obey the state and country laws (such as the maximum and minimum speed limits) and have all road users’ safety in mind, you don’t have to worry about being caught at a checkpoint. However, if you want to avoid potentially being delayed for a checkpoint, it’s best to avoid them by checking the schedule above.