The holiday season, as per the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS), has seen its share of tragedy and enforcement on the state's roadways. In a preliminary report covering the Christmas travel period, DPS noted that three individuals have lost their lives in crashes across Georgia. During the same window, state troopers have been active, arresting 38 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
A tally, starting from 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and running through to the final minutes of Sunday, reflected three deaths directly resulting from vehicle collisions, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. Additionally, the holiday period has so far accounted for a total of 36 crash reports submitted by troopers, none of which involved commercial vehicles, a notable difference from the typical traffic variety seen throughout the year.
Injuries too marked the reports with 12 individuals affected during this period. Georgia's law enforcement remains vigilant with troopers also issuing 24 citations for distracted driving and 30 for seatbelt violations, according to the information by Atlanta News First. The heightened presence of officers on the state's interstates has remained a consistent effort to curb travel-related incidents.
While the state continues to grieve the lives prematurely concluded on its roads, the DPS remains firmly focused on reducing these occurrences. The four crashes attributed to driving under the influence highlight the risks that such behaviors impose on our shared avenues of motion. DPS has announced that it will maintain its watch and traffic data collection as the holiday weekend progresses.
