Increased traffic enforcement on tap for Labor Day

Dangerous, aggressive and high-speed drivers continue to be the target of the ongoing “100 Days of Summer H.E.A.T.” campaign. The initiative, which began on Memorial Day, is in its seventh year. As part of the campaign, law enforcement agencies statewide are working to reduce traffic fatalities by targeting speeders, unbuckled motorists and impaired drivers.

Police will also be enforcing the state’s new Super Speeder Law that took effect January 2010. The Super Speeder Law adds an additional $200 state fee for drivers convicted of speeding at 75mph or more on any two lane road or 85-and-over anywhere in Georgia.

“These Super Speeder fees are designed to reform high-speed behavior behind the wheel and help us save precious lives and reduce serious injury on Georgia roadways,” said Director Bob Dallas of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).

Impaired drivers are the focus of another initiative, “Operation Zero Tolerance.” Every Labor Day, Georgia mobilizes thousands of traffic enforcement officers to conduct high visibility sobriety road checks and DUI patrols. The operation is part of a national impaired driving crackdown campaign called “Over the Limit, Under Arrest.”

In 2008, nearly 12,000 people died nationwide in highway crashes involving drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Across the country, drunk driving remains one of America’s deadliest crimes.

A second operation targeting drunk drivers, “Hands across the Border,” will also be underway this weekend. Georgia law enforcement personnel will join forces with officers from five other neighboring states as part of a highway safety campaign.

“For almost two decades, this DUI enforcement campaign has served as a yearly reminder that law enforcement here in Georgia and in our neighboring states continues to crackdown on impaired driving,” Dallas said. “As motorists all over the southeast hit the road for the last big holiday weekend of the summer, they better not hit the bottle before they get behind the wheel. Because if they choose to visit Georgia, their vacation plans will also include a visit to jail if they choose to drive drunk.”

For more information about Operation Zero Tolerance, Hands across the Border, and the “100 Days of Summer HEAT”, visit the GOHS website at www.gahighwaysafety.org.