Media release from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety:
The Governor’s Office of Highway (GOHS) is joining our Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) units and 16 Regional Traffic Enforcement Networks to remind 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. The Georgia State Patrol and local law enforcement will be looking to save lives and prevent crashes by targeting impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding, reckless driving and other illegal driving behaviors during the extended July 4th holiday weekend that begins at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 3 and ends at 11:59 a.m. on Sunday, July 6.
The July 4th holiday weekend takes place during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ‘Operation Zero Tolerance’ drunk and driving enforcement and awareness campaign. State troopers, deputies and police officers in Georgia maintain a year-round zero tolerance policy for drunk and drugged driving. That means 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. 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.
That is why GOHS and law enforcement officers ask anyone whose plans include alcohol to also include a plan for a ride with a sober driver before any celebration or event begins. Taking a few minutes to arrange a ride with a sober driver will save lives and allow a person to not worry about having to drive when it is time to leave.
“If you are wanting a warning for driving under the influence, this is it,” Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway 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.”
According to NHTSA, more than 40 percent of the people killed in passenger vehicle crashes during the July 4th holiday travel period in Georgia from 2019-2023 involved a drunk driver and more than 60 percent of those DUI fatal crashes in Georgia during the July 4th holiday weekend over this five-year span involved a driver whose BAC was twice the legal limit.
Of the 617 people killed in traffic crashes in the United States during the 2023 102-hour July 4th holiday travel period, 38 percent (233) of those people died in crashes involving a drunk driver and 27 percent of the total drunk driving fatal crashes in the United States during the 2023 July 4th holiday period involved a driver whose BAC was twice the legal limit.
Drunk and drugged driving is not only illegal but it is also not worth the risk. A DUI arrest can cost up to $10,000 in fines, court costs and legal bills as well as the suspension of a person’s driver’s license. A DUI arrest can also cost someone their job or prevent them from being hired.
To avoid a DUI arrest, plan ahead by designating a sober driver before the party or celebration begins. Thank those who volunteer to be the designated driver and remember the designated driver is the person who does not drink any alcoholic beverages. If you have a friend or family member wanting to drive after drinking, take the keys or arrange a ride with a sober driver.
GOHS and NHTSA also offer the following tips for those traveling for the holiday weekend:
• 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.
For more information on highway safety, go to gahighwaysafety.org and follow GOHS on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.
