Auburn Wishes its Citizens a Happy and Safe Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a national holiday designated to honor the fallen soldiers of American wars. For many, it has evolved into a day that heralds the unofficial start of summer, marked by family picnics, neighborhood barbecues, and boisterous poolside celebrations. While the City of Auburn wishes all of its citizens and visitors a happy holiday, it also desires that everyone have a SAFE Memorial Day.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, during the 2011 Memorial Day holiday travel period the Georgia State Patrol investigated 312 traffic crashes that resulted in 236 injuries and 13 traffic deaths.  Alcohol was noted as a contributing factor in 6 of the 13 fatalities, and 8 of the 9 people killed in either a passenger car or pickup truck were not wearing seat belts. In addition to the traffic crash investigations last Memorial Day weekend, troopers arrested 209 people for driving under the influence while issuing 7,499 citations and 6,625 warnings. To help us all remain safe on the roads today, here are just a few reminders for drivers in the area:

• Auburn’s code ordinances outline that speed limits are between 25 to 45 miles per hour throughout most of the city.
• The “Click It or Ticket” Campaign is in full effect throughout Georgia through June 3, 2012 – so be sure to buckle up!
• The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit in Georgia is 0.08. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety wishes to remind everyone to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

For those who are wise enough to keep their celebrations close to home, you should still be aware of certain code ordinances in Auburn related to offenses against the public peace:

• 9.12.010 - Disorderly conduct - It is unlawful for any person within the corporate limits of the city to violate any of the following subsections of this section:
  • Any person who shall act in a violent or tumultuous manner toward another whereby any person is placed in fear of safety of his/her life, limb or health;
  • Any person who shall act in a violent or tumultuous manner toward another whereby the property of any person is placed in danger of being destroyed or damaged;
  • Any person who shall by acts of violence interfere with another's pursuit of a lawful occupation;
  • Any person who shall disrupt, by excessive noise or disorderly actions, the undisturbed activities of any institution of learning, house of worship, private residence, place of business or any hospital;
  • Any person who shall throw bottles, paper, cans, glass, sticks, stones, missiles or any other debris on public property;
  • Without provocation, any person who threatens immediate violence or physical harm to another person in such other person's presence through the use of obscene language or words considered profane, fighting words, vulgar and/or indecent, in any place, public or private, where the language is violative of any person, and where the use of the language may be a breach of peace and potentially dangerous to the safety of persons and property; or
  • Without provocation, any person who uses obscene and vulgar or profane language in the presence of or by telephone to a person under the age of fourteen years which threatens an immediate breach of the peace.
• 9.12.090 - Noises.
  • It is unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise or any noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others in the city.
  • The following acts among others are declared to be loud, disturbing and unnecessary noises in violation of this section, but such enumeration shall not be deemed to be exclusive, namely: Radios, Phonographs, Similar Devices in such manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring inhabitants or at any time with a volume louder than necessary for the convenient hearing of the person who is in the room, vehicle or chamber in which such machine or device is operated, and who is a voluntary listener thereto. The operating of any such set, instrument, phonograph, machine or device between the hours of eleven p.m. and seven a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet from the building, structure or vehicle in which it is located shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section;  Yelling, Shouting, Etc. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on the public streets, particularly between the hours of eleven p.m. and seven a.m., or at any time or place so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any office, dwelling, hotel or other type of residence or of any persons in the vicinity.

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