Nashville, Tennessee --- Highway enforcement efforts for the Independence Day weekend will focus on saving the lives of travelers. The Tennessee Highway Patrol will concentrate on stopping violations that are contributing factors in fatal crashes as part of its "Stay Alive in '05" campaign. Those offenses include speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving.

Department of Safety Commissioner Fred Phillips said, "We're working to reduce highway deaths in Tennessee by 10 percent by 2009. We will ticket any driver we see whose unlawful actions increase the chances of a fatal crash."

"Stay Alive in '05" activities include sobriety checkpoints and driver license checkpoints in all 95 counties. "By finding dangerous drivers before they cause a crash, we lessen the chances of fatalities on Tennessee roads," said Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Lynn Pitts.

Pitts said the THP is also still engaged in "100 Days of Summer Heat" activities, which stress seat belt usage and the proper restraint of child passengers. Last summer, State Troopers wrote almost 14,500 citations for moving violations during the summer months. They also wrote more than 7,000 citations for non-moving violations, many related to seat belt use. Tennessee 's seat belt law, which changed July 1, 2004 , elevated failure to wear seat belts to a primary offense.

The 2005 Fourth of July holiday period will begin 6:00pm on Friday, July 1st and will continue until midnight on Monday, July 4th . This is a 78-hour holiday period. Statistical information for last year's July 4th holiday period is available on the Fourth of July Holiday Historical Information page.

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is (www.tn.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.