Crime & Safety

Independence Day Holiday Travel Period Starts Today

The Georgia State Patrol has one primary goal this Fourth of July weekend — to keep the accident count as low as possible.

The Georgia State Patrol has one primary goal this Fourth of July weekend — to keep the accident count as low as possible.

The 78-hour holiday travel period begins at 6 p.m. today, Friday, July 1, and ends at midnight Monday, July 4.

Last year, more than 1,800 accidents occurred over the Independence Day holiday weekend. Those accidents resulted in 834 injuries and 11 fatalities.

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Col. Bill Hitchens, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said troopers will be watching for drivers under the influence, speeders and motorists not wearing seat belts.

“Our Troopers and MCCD Officers will be concentrating on the most common violations identified as contributing factors in fatal traffic crashes," Hitchens said in a released statement.

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Operation Zero Tolerance is also continuing across Georgia this weekend. The focus of the program is to remove impaired drivers from the roadway. Safety checks and concentrated patrols are planned.

Hitchens further noted . Hitchens said drivers should make sure child passengers are properly restrained.


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