Law Enforcement Ready for Holiday Weekend

Local and state law enforcement agencies are also getting ready for the New Year’s holiday travel period.

For law enforcement, the New Year’s holiday travel period will begin at 6 p.m. tonight and end Monday, January 2 at midnight.

That is a total of 78 hours.

During the New Year’s travel period last year, there were 412 crashes and 235 injuries reported and state troopers investigated seven fatal crashes that resulted in ten fatalities.

Also, 329 people were arrested during the New Year’s holiday last year for driving under the influence.

Again this weekend, state troopers will be teaming up with law enforcement officials from across the state for “Operation Zero Tolerance”, a high visibility enforcement campaign, which targets impaired drivers.

Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner Colonel Mark McDonough said that people who choose to drink need to plan ahead and have a designated driver.

Also, McDonough said drivers traveling should put safety first by wearing a seat belt, obeying the posted speed limit, avoiding distractions inside vehicles, and by being courteous to other drivers.

He said that authorities know from past experience that speed, alcohol, and failing to use seat belts are the primary contributing factors in fatal crashes.