Georgia troopers increase presence over Fourth of July holiday
July 4th traffic: Georgia state troopers out in full force
State public safety officials are deploying extra troopers across Georgia highways this week to combat distracted driving and manage a massive influx of holiday motorists.
ATLANTA - State law enforcement teams are flooding roadways this week to handle a massive wave of holiday drivers and crack down on dangerous highway behavior.
What we know:
The Georgia Department of Public Safety is increasing patrols across the state to handle one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Drivers will see a heavier presence of Georgia State Patrol troopers and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers on the roads.
The official Independence Day holiday travel period begins at 6 p.m. Thursday and continues through midnight Sunday.
"We always call in extra people because we know that it's going to be a busy time for travel," said Capt. Crystal Zion with the Georgia Department of Public Safety. The agency is reacting to massive travel projections, as AAA expects more than 61 million Americans to travel by car over the holiday weekend.
By the numbers:
During last year's Fourth of July holiday travel period, the Georgia Department of Public Safety responded to nearly 320 traffic crashes across the state. T
hose wrecks resulted in 200 injuries and 10 fatalities. Officers also made nearly 500 DUI arrests during that same holiday window.
Distracted driving remains a top worry for state troopers.
"We see it day in and day out that distracted driving causes crashes every single day," Zion said. Officials are urging anyone drinking to stay out of the driver's seat. "If you choose to drive, don't be under the influence," Zion said. "Call a rideshare, get an Uber, get a Lyft, get a friend. Do anything. If you are under the influence, do not drive because we want you to arrive safely, and we don't want you to hurt anybody's family."
Local perspective:
State officials are also instructing motorists to use extreme caution when sharing the road with large commercial vehicles. Drivers need to give semi-trucks extra space, especially while trying to pass them, due to massive blind spots.
"If you try to pass on the right, they can't see you. They have blind spots and that's just extremely dangerous," said Lt. Luke Montgomery with the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. The department expects the afternoon hours to be the absolute busiest travel times of the weekend.
What we don't know:
State agencies have not released the exact number of extra troopers being called in for this enforcement wave. It is also unknown which specific Georgia highways or regions saw the highest concentration of DUI arrests and crashes during the previous year's holiday period.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an official holiday travel safety announcement and recorded interviews provided by the Georgia Department of Public Safety, featuring Captain Crystal Zion and Lieutenant Luke Montgomery of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division.