The City of Calhoun Police Department and Governor’s Office of Highway Safety are reminding drivers to stay off Santa’s naughty list by not driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Calhoun Police is joining sheriff’s offices, police departments and the Georgia State Patrol to reduce crashes, deaths, and injuries during the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign from December 14, 2022 through January 2, 2023.
Law enforcement officers in Georgia have a zero-tolerance policy for impaired driving and the Calhoun Police officers will take any driver found to be over the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher to jail. No excuses. No exceptions.
“Drunk driving is always a bad decision and for those who make the wrong decision to drink and drive will be arrested because this is the only warning we will give,” Calhoun Police Chief Pyle said. “Drunk driving endangers the lives of everyone on the road and putting drunk drivers behind bars is the best way to protect the innocent men, women, and children when they are traveling.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,400 people have died in drunk driving crashes in the United States during the month of December over a five-year period from 2016 to 2020. In Georgia, two out of three fatal drunk driving crashes during the Christmas holidays over the last five years involved a driver whose BAC was twice the legal limit.
Federal crash data shows that male drivers in December 2020 were three times more likely to be involved in alcohol-related fatal crashes than female drivers and almost half of the nighttime fatal drunk driving crashes in the nation in the United States happened between midnight and three a.m..
It is estimated that a DUI arrest can cost up to $10,000 in court fees, fines, attorney fees, and higher insurance premiums. A DUI conviction may also cost someone their job or prevent them from being hired.
“State troopers and local law enforcement officers see every day what the senseless and selfish decision to drink and drive does to families across our state and taking drunk and drugged drivers off the road is the best way to prevent another family from losing a loved one in a DUI crash,” Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Allen Poole said. “Drunk driving is a choice and we remind everyone to choose wisely by calling a cab or ride service or handing the keys to a sober driver.”
Calhoun Police Department, GOHS, and NHTSA offer the following tips to help stop drunk driving:
♦ Chose a non-drinking person to be the designated driver before going out.
♦ Do not let someone you know get behind the wheel if they have been drinking.
♦ Let friends know they can contact you for a sober ride when needed.
♦ Those hosting a party where alcohol is served should make sure guests leave with a sober driver.
♦ Always wear your seat belt because it is the best defense against impaired drivers.
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