State, local law enforcement officials urge safe holiday driving

ALBANY Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Allen Poole said at a media event in Albany Monday that people who commit any number of violations while driving on Georgia roads during the holiday period that kicks off at 6 p.m. Wednesday and continues through Sunday at 11:59 p.m. should not be surprised by the resulting ticket they receive.

“If you’re pulled over during this period, you can expect a ticket,” Poole, surrounded by state troopers and members of the Albany Police Department, said at the Albany Law Enforcement Center early Monday afternoon. “This press conference is your warning.”

Poole, Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner Chris Wright and Albany Police Department Chief Michael Persley encouraged drivers to adhere to all state and local laws as they travel during the holiday season, warning that Georgia State Patrol, Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Traffic Enforcement Networks, Highway Safety H.E.A.T. units and local law enforcement agencies would be out in force over the holiday season to ensure there is not a repeat of last year’s deadly Thanksgiving holiday.

“Twenty-four Georgia families had their holidays ruined last year as the result of deadly crashes,” GOHS Communications Director Robert Hydrick said. “These men and women don’t want to pull you over and give you a ticket during the holidays, but if they have to, they will.”

Persely encouraged local drivers to “drive as if your life depends on it.”

“The No. 1 thing we’d love to hear at the end of this period is that there were zero fatalities on Georgia roads,” the APD chief said.

Poole, Wright and GSP Troopers have toured the state in the days leading up to the Thanksgiving holidays, offering a stark warning that driving infractions will not be tolerated.

“In an effort to reduce the number of crashes in the state, we’re going to be out in force,” Wright said. “Driving under the influence and driving while distracted will simply not be tolerated. We will, in addition to looking for drivers who may be impaired or distracted, continue Operation Click It or Ticket for those who do not buckle up their seat belts.”

The state and local law enforcement officials offered a number of safety tips for those who will be traveling during the holidays:

♦ Allow extra time for your trip due to the increase in traffic on state roads;

♦ Do not try to make up time by speeding; better to arrive late than not at all;

♦ Buckle up before starting your vehicle;

♦ Program all navigation devices before getting on the road;

♦ Take a break or switch drivers if feeling tired;

♦ Never get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking or taking medication that will impair your ability to operate a vehicle.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that 81% of people riding in passenger vehicles who were ejected in a crash in the U.S. in 2019 were killed. The risk of fatalities goes down by 45% when a person is wearing a seat belt. Ten of the 24 people killed during last year’s 102-hour holiday period were not wearing seat belts.

“Fifty-eight percent of fatality victims so far this year have not been wearing seat belts,” Wright said. “We want to encourage drivers to plan their travels carefully, allow ample time to reach your destination. Every driver must take responsibility for the passengers in a vehicle when they get behind the wheel.”

The goal, Poole said, is not to hand out tickets for driving infractions.

“We have one goal that is foremost: to prevent crashes and save lives,” he said. “We had our highest fatality rate in seven years last year. We’re going to do everything in our power to see that that doesn’t happen again.”

File Photo: Carlton FletcherFile Photo: Carlton Fletcher

Staff Photo: Carlton Fletcher

Staff Photo: Carlton Fletcher

Staff Photo: Carlton Fletcher