Labor Day Traffic Fatalities Down Slightly From 2023
According to the latest figures from the Georgia Department of Public Safety, 19 fatalities were reported on Georgia roads during the 78-hour Labor Day holiday travel period that began at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 30, and ended at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2. A 20th person drowned in Lake Lanier, according to state officials.
This is slightly lower than last year’s Labor Day fatality count, which was reported at 21 in the week following the holiday, but was later updated to 26, including 3 drownings. One of the roadway deaths last year occurred in Stephens County.
No fatal crashes were reported over the holiday weekend in Stephens County this year, but Georgia State Patrol Post 52 responded to a head-on collision on Saturday on Highway 17 in Franklin County, where 36-year-old Lisa Carey of Royston and 51-year-old Jeffrey Wayne Burns of Lavonia were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Agencies responding to fatality crashes over the Labor Day Weekend included:
Post 23, Brunswick
Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office
Post 13, Tifton
Post 23, Brunswick
Dunwoody P.D.
Pike County S.O.
Bibb County S.O.
Post 41, LaFayette
Post 52, Hartwell (2)
Post 12, Thomasville
Post 31 Valdosta (2)
Richmond County S.O.
Post 18, Reidsville (3)
Putnam County S.O.
During the 2022 Labor Day holiday travel period, there were 15 fatalities; 2021 recorded 14 Labor Day fatalities; 2020 was another deadly year, with 21 fatalities during the holiday travel period, more than doubling the 10 Labor Day weekend fatalities recorded in 2019.
Last year, In addition to responding to fatal wrecks, GSP troopers investigated more than 300 traffic crashes that resulted in nearly 200 injuries. Troopers and Motor Carrier Compliance Division Officers made more than 16,000 traffic stops, wrote more than 9,300 citations and issued more than 11,600 warnings over the holiday travel period.
Traffic stop, citation and crash statistics for this year have not yet been released.