State and local law enforcement will be on high-visibility patrols as thousands take to the road this Labor Day weekend.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety says state troopers and Motor Carrier Compliance Division officers will increase their patrols on interstates and secondary roads. Local police departments and sheriff’s offices are expected to do the same.
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The official Labor Day weekend travel period begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 1, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 4.
Last year, 15 people died on Georgia’s roads over the long Labor Day holiday.
To keep the number of traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities as low as possible during the 78-hour holiday travel this year, GSP and MCCD will focus on impaired drivers, speeders, distracted drivers, and seatbelt violations.
Here are some travel tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe:
- Observe the posted speed limit. When you exceed the speed limit, you reduce the amount of available time needed to avoid a traffic crash.
- Observe all traffic laws and signals. Traffic laws and signals exist for your safety; failure to obey them can result in crashes that may seriously injure or kill you or others.
- Do not drive impaired. Designate a sober driver, call a taxi, rideshare service, friend, or family member to help you get home safely.
- Make sure everyone in the vehicle wears a seatbelt. Also, properly install child safety seats. Georgia law requires children under eight years should ride in either a car seat or booster seat suitable for their age, weight, and height.
- Show common courtesy to other motorists and pedestrians on the roads. Be mindful of your fellow road users, especially the most vulnerable — pedestrians and cyclists.
- Do not drive distracted. Refrain from performing any activity that may take your focus off the road, such as texting while driving. Effective July 1, 2018, the Hands-Free Georgia Act prohibits all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. The full law can be found on the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety’s website at www.gahighwaysafety.org.
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