State Patrol predicts 20 holiday traffic deaths

The Georgia State Patrol is predicting 20 traffic deaths on Georgia roads during the 102-hour New Year's Day holiday weekend that begins Wednesday at 6 p.m. and ends at midnight Sunday.

Lieutenant Paul Cosper of the Georgia State Patrol says speeding is a big culprit:

"People don't leave that safety zone. They'll get to traveling at speed and they'll tailgate, and next thing you know; somebody applies the brakes, and somebody's not paying attention, and we have a wreck."

Cosper estimates there will be more than 3,000 accidents and over with 1,300 injuries.

Last year during a 102-hour holiday period there were 2,109 accidents with 1,250 injuries and 22 deaths.

The national “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” campaign begun December 19th also concludes this weekend.

But Department of Public Safety officials say troopers will be out in force making spot sobriety checks.

The Department of Public Safety website will update the holiday period traffic count every six hours.

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Deaths on Georgia roads higher than predicted

The Georgia State Patrol reports 24 people died on the state’s roadways for the holiday period, which began Christmas Eve at 6pm, and ending midnight Sunday. Officials had predicted 19 deaths for Georgia’s roads during the period.

Ga. police: forget the fifth on the 4th

Operation Zero Tolerance poster: 'Over The Limit. Under Arrest.' (Courtesy http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/)

Georgia state troopers, along with county and municipal police agencies will enforce "Operation Zero Tolerance" on Georgia's roads this July 4th weekend.

Motorists traveling in Georgia during the July 4th holiday weekend can expect to see extra state troopers on the highways. They might also run into a checkpoint.

Colonel Bill Hitchens, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said all available troopers will be on the roads during the holiday travel weekend.

Hitchens said officers will not hesitate to arrest an impaired driver and tow their vehicle. From the campaign's web page:

"If you’re caught driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) at or over the illegal limit of 0.08, you will be arrested. Operation Zero Tolerance means you never receive just a warning or citation. In Georgia, if you’re Over the Limit, you’re Under Arrest. First time violators go to jail."

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(with The Associated Press)

State holiday traffic deaths lower than prediction

Georgia's Department of Public Safety says 11 people were killed in crashes on state roadways over the four-day Christmas holiday travel period, which ended at midnight. The tally is much lower than what had been predicted by officials--25 traffic fatalities. Authorities ramped-up patrols and set sobriety checkpoints on state roadways over the four-day period. Officials point to increased law enforcement visibility as a reason for a lower number of impaired crashes and fatalities.