At least eleven people have now died on Georgia’s roads over this long Memorial Day holiday weekend. As of 6 p.m. Monday, the State Patrol reported one fatality in Northeast Georgia, two in Northwest Georgia, and eight deaths in the southern part of the state.
Two men were killed in a fiery crash on Ga. 400 early Sunday when a man drove over 100 mph in the wrong direction.
Click It or Ticket
Georgia law enforcement is again participating in the national ‘Click It, or Ticket’ campaign. State troopers are working alongside sheriff’s deputies and police officers to enforce seat belt laws and educate the public on seat belt safety. During a press conference last week, Habersham County Sheriff’s Cpl. Kris Hall spoke on the topic.
Hall recounted a crash in Turnerville in April involving a family of six. Two adults and four children under the age of five were traveling in a Dodge Durango when a pickup truck ran out in front of them. Although they were traveling around 65 mph at the time of the crash, they survived because they were properly restrained.
“All the children were properly buckled in their seatbelts — child safety seats — and they were properly installed,” Hall said. “That’s just a testament to the fact that seatbelts do save lives, and they did not end up as another statistic.”
In addition to wearing seat belts and making sure children under 8 years of age are belted into properly installed car seats, officials urge drivers to obey the speed limit, put down their phones, obey the posted speed limit, and don’t drink and drive.
Pedestrian safety is also a concern.
According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, preliminary data shows pedestrian fatalities increased in 2020 both statewide and nationally. The traffic-related death reported Saturday in Northeast Georgia was a pedestrian.
Holiday travel period ends at midnight
During the 2020 Memorial Day holiday, the Georgia State Patrol investigated 382 traffic crashes that resulted in 256 injuries and 10 fatal accidents resulting in 13 deaths.
This year’s 78-hour holiday travel period began at 6 p.m. Friday, May 28. It ends at midnight Monday, May 31.
This article has been updated to reflect the most recent holiday traffic count
