Many Americans look at the Labor Day holiday weekend as the unofficial end of summertime. Although, no matter how one plans to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure to safely plan it. This Labor Day weekend, the Sandersville Police Department (SPD) is participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over“ impaired driving awareness campaign, which runs from Wednesday, August 18 through Monday, September 6. In support of the SPD dedication to protecting the lives of residents in Sandersville, everyone will see officers working together during the holiday weekend to take drunk drivers off the roads. These expanded efforts to protect against impaired driving will be conducted in a fair and equitable way.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, traffic crashes across Georgia during the 78-hour long Labor Day Holiday travel period in 2020 resulted in 331 crashes with 19 fatalities and 176 injuries. 309 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence. This is why Sandersville Police are working with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, but is a matter of life and death. As one heads out to Labor Day festivities, remember to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Captain Kelly Collins of the Sandersville Police Department. “We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep Sandersville’s streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Let’s make this a partnership between Sandersville Police and drivers. Help us protect our community and put an end to this senseless behavior.”
Sandersville Police, the GOHS, and the NHTSA are reminding Sandersville citizens of the many resources available to get them safely home . They recommend these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:
– Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even after only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver to get safely home.
– See a drunk driver on the road? Contact the Sandersville Police Department dispatch at 552-3038.
– Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get the friend safely home.