State and local law enforcement issue their only warning for drunk and drugged driving before the July 4th holiday weekend
(ATLANTA)Keep the fireworks in the sky and off the road during this July 4th holiday weekend by having a ride with a sober driver scheduled if alcohol is part of the plan to celebrate the United States of America’s 250th birthday.
The Governor’s Office of Highway (GOHS) is joining state and local law enforcement agencies to remind drivers to make the smart choice to never drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both substances. State troopers, GOHS Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T) units and the 16 GOHS Regional Traffic Enforcement Networks are stepping up enforcement of DUI and all traffic laws during the upcoming July 4th holiday travel weekend that begins at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 2 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 5.
Troopers, deputies, and officers will be targeting drunk and drugged driving, speeding, aggressive driving, reckless driving, distracted driving, failure to wear a seat belt and all traffic laws with the goal of saving lives by preventing crashes on Georgia roads and highways. State troopers and local law enforcement officers made more than 700 DUI arrests during the 2025 ‘Operation Zero Tolerance’ July 4th holiday mobilization that ran from June 27 to July 6.
State and local law enforcement agencies continue to remind everyone that Georgia is a zero-tolerance state for drunk driving. That means any driver found with a Blood-Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level above the legal limit in Georgia of .08 will be arrested. No warnings are given and no one will be allowed to call someone for a ride from a traffic contact. The time to call someone for a ride is before the celebration begins.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates a DUI arrest can cost up to $10,000 in fines, fees, attorney costs and higher insurance premiums and could cause someone to lose their job or prevent them from being hired for a job.
“All drunk and drugged driving deaths are completely preventable because they are all caused by someone making the selfish decision to drive when they know they should not be behind the wheel,” Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said. “State troopers and local law enforcement officers wish they did not have to arrest anyone for DUI but will do so in order to potentially prevent a family from losing a loved one in a crash that is totally preventable.’
According to the NHTSA, the July 4th holiday ranks as one of the deadliest periods on our nation’s roads, with more than 2,700 people killed in crashes during the Independence Day holiday travel period in the United States from 2020 to 2024 and almost 40% of the drivers killed during the July 4th holiday travel period in the U.S. during this five-year period were drunk.
According to the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 37% of the people killed in crashes in Georgia during the July 4th holiday period from 2020 to 2024 involved a drunk driver and 65% of the fatal drunk driving crashes in the state during the July 4th holiday travel period from 2020 to 2024 involved a driver whose BAC was twice the legal limit.
A Georgia Traffic Safety Fact Sheet on Impaired Driving, published by GOHS and the Georgia Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES), found that more than 80% of the persons killed or seriously injured in crashes involving a drunk driver in Georgia in 2023 were riding in the vehicle hit by the drunk driver.
“Enforcement of traffic laws, especially drunk and drugged driving, is designed to protect everyone traveling on our roads and highways, which is why it is important for everyone to obey them,” Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway said. “The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and state and local law enforcement ask you to be a lifesaver by driving at safe speeds, wearing seat belts, keeping your focus and eyes on the road and never choosing to drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a mixture of both substances.”
AAA – The Auto Club Group will have its “Tow-To-Go” service running from 6:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3 through 6:00 a.m. on Monday, July 6. AAA’s ‘Tow-To-Go’ service will provide a free tow and ride for only the driver of the vehicle for up to ten miles. AAA does not take reservations because the ‘Tow-To-Go’ service is designed for those persons who did not plan for a sober ride.
GOHS and NHTSA also offer the following tips for those traveling for the holiday weekend.
- Allow more time to reach your destination.
- Do not try to make up time by speeding
- Wear your seat belt and remember children under eight years of age are required by Georgia law to ride in an approved child safety seat.
- Keep the focus on the road and program navigation devices before starting your trip
- Take breaks on long trips and alternate drivers if possible.
For more information on highway safety, go to gahighwaysafety.org and follow GOHS on Facebook, Instagram and X.
