ATLANTA — Ahead of the July 4 holiday getting into full swing, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is warning drivers to avoid impairment and not to drive under the influence.
The Georgia State Patrol and its law enforcement partners will be out in force to ensure safety on Georgia roads, and state officials want you to do your part too.
They’re reminding drivers to “make the right decision to never drive under the influence of any substance that impairs a person’s ability to operate a motor vehicle.”
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Troopers and their allies will be “looking to save lives and prevent crashes by targeting impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding, reckless driving and other illegal driving behaviors.”
The state safety strategy will be in effect from Thursday at 6 p.m. to just before noon on Sunday.
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“If you are wanting a warning for driving under the influence, this is it,” Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said. “Georgia has zero tolerance for drunk and drugged driving because no one should ever lose a family member or friend in a crash that is completely preventable and those who choose not to drink and drive are saving lives.”
The weekend safety initiative is also going on during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Operation Zero Tolerance, aimed at preventing drunken driving while enforcing the rules and putting out an awareness campaign.
The NHTSA reports that more than 40% of people killed in passenger vehicle crashes during previous July 4 travel periods in Georgia involved a drunk driver.
More than 60% of fatal crashes in Georgia during the same holiday travel period from 2019 to 2023 also involved a DUI where a driver’s blood alcohol volume was twice the legal limit.
“Any driver they find on the road with a Blood-Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level at or above the legal limit in Georgia of .08 will be arrested,“ GOHS said in a statement. ”No warnings, no excuses and no calling a family member or friend tor a ride. The only ride drunk and drugged drivers will receive is to the nearest jail.”
GOHS and NHTSA offered these recommendations for safe travel over the holiday:
- Allow more time to reach your destination and do not try to make up time by speeding
- Wear your seat belt and remember children under eight years of age are required by Georgia law to ride in an approved child safety seat.
- Georgia law requires children between 8-17 to wear a seat belt no matter where they are sitting in a vehicle.
- Keep the focus on the road and program navigation devices before the trip begins
- Take breaks on long trips and alternate drivers if possible
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