Troopers Target Dangerous Drivers

State troopers are cracking down on dangerous driving for Labor Day weekend. They say it's the deadliest weekend of the year for drivers.

Trooper Thomas Clower says he sees speeding every day on I-75. During Labor Day weekend, when more people are on the road, Clower says it's no different.

Clower let our cameras ride along with him as he stopped speeders on I-75 near Ooltewah. In an hour, Clower pulled over three drivers all for going at least 21 miles per hour over the speed limit.

"I see a lot of young people speeding, and the number one killer of 16 to 25 year olds is speed," said Clower.

Nine people died in traffic accidents last year during Labor Day weekend in Tennessee. Six of those we're alcohol related.

"We're not gonna tolerate this speeding, especially out here on Labor Day. This is our deadliest weekend, and usually along with speeding comes some alcohol."

While our cameras were rolling, Clower pulled over a driver and found an open beer. The driver says it wasn't hers, and after she passed a field sobriety test, Clower let her go, but still gave her a speeding ticket.
     
Clower says finding alcohol on stops doesn't happen every day, but it's out there. He says it's a good reminder to make good decisions this weekend.

"I've even been driving down the roadway and seen people turn a beer up. It just never ceases to amaze me," Clower said.

The deadliest Labor Day weekend on record for Tennessee was in 1974 when 27 people died in car accidents over a 78-hour period.