The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), the Georgia State Patrol, the GOHS Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) units, and GOHS Traffic Enforcement Network members kicked off the annual ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ holiday DUI education and enforcement campaign on Tuesday, December 17 by reminding motorists to make the smart decision to never drink and drive. Georgia State troopers and local law enforcement officers are stepping up traffic enforcement during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season and will take any drunk or drugged driver they find to jail.
The increased enforcement effort runs through Sunday, January 2, 2022. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately one out of three traffic deaths in the United States involve a driver whose Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level is .08 or higher. Georgia law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates urge anyone planning to include alcohol in their celebrations to have a plan for a ride with a sober driver, cab, or rideshare.
“If you are pulled over and found to be over the legal limit, do not ask for a warning or to call someone to pick you up because it will be too late,” said GOHS Director Allen Poole. “When alcohol is going to be included, make plans ahead for a sober ride, which will allow you to enjoy your time with family and friends without having to worry about how you are getting home.”
According to the Georgia State Patrol, 33 people were killed in crashes during the 78-hour Christmas and 78-hour New Year’s holiday travel periods in 2020. Twenty people were killed in crashes from 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, December 24, 2020, to 11:59 P.M. on Sunday, December 27, 2020. 13 people were killed in crashes from 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, December 31, 2020, through 11:59 P.M. on Sunday, January 3, 2021.
Data from the NHTSA’s Fatality Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST) shows 83 people have died in crashes in Georgia involving a driver whose BAC was over the legal limit during the final 15 days of December from 2015 through 2019, and 59 of those individuals died in crashes involving a driver whose BAC was twice the legal limit.
While alcohol is a factor in approximately one out of four traffic deaths in Georgia each year, half of the traffic deaths that have happened in Georgia from 6:00 P.M. on New Year’s Eve to 6:00 A.M. on New Year’s morning from 2015 – 2019 involved a driver whose BAC was over the legal limit. Twenty people have died in traffic crashes over the 12-hour period from New Year’s Eve night to New Year’s Eve morning from 2015 to 2019, and ten of those individuals died in crashes involving a driver whose BAC was above the legal limit. Seven of those ten people died in crashes involving a driver whose BAC was .15 or higher.
The NHTSA says 210 people were killed during the 2019 Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods, which is more than any other holiday period that year. The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in the United States in 2019 was 3.3 times higher at night than during the day.
“The goal of the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign is to eliminate all drunk driving deaths by getting all motorists to always make the wise decision to not get behind the wheel when they are over the limit,” Poole said. “Until we reach that day, state troopers and local law enforcement officers will continue to prevent drunk driving deaths by taking drunk and drugged drivers to jail.”
AAA Georgia will once again offer free tows for those too impaired to drive during the holiday season through the Tow-to-Go program this year. Tow-to-Go in Georgia offers free tows for a vehicle and a ride for the driver up to ten miles from 6:00 P.M. on Friday, December 24 through 6:00 A.M. on Monday, January 3. More information can be found by calling 855-286-9246.
The GOHS also offers the following tips for having save travels on Georgia roads during the holidays:
– Plan ahead with a designated driver. Don’t wait until the drinking has started.
– If one is suddenly in need of a sober ride home, call a sober friend, taxi, or rideshare service.
– If one is having a few family members or friends over to celebrate, be sure to have non-alcoholic drinks available for designated drivers and offer guests the option of staying over if they appear to be too impaired to drive.
– If one sees a drunk driver on the road, call 911 your local law enforcement agency.