State Traffic Enforcement Officers to Join OZT

NEWS RELEASE

(ATLANTA)—Georgia State Troopers along with officers from the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Motor Carrier Compliance and Capitol Police divisions will team with law enforcement officers from local police and sheriffs’ departments across Georgia for Operation Zero Tolerance, Georgia’s high visibility impaired driving enforcement program.  The July Fourth OZT campaign begins Friday, June 20 and ends on Sunday, July 6.

            Colonel Bill Hitchens, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said DPS troopers and officers will be watching for impaired drivers during concentrated patrols and roadchecks throughout the two-week period.  The impairing driving crackdown includes the 78-hour July Fourth holiday travel period.  “State Troopers and DPS officers will not hesitate to arrest an impaired driver and tow their vehicle,” Colonel Hitchens said.  “No matter what you drive – a passenger car, pickup truck, motorcycle, or commercial vehicle – if you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested.”

            Law enforcement officers urge drivers to follow these easy steps to enjoy a safe and festive summer without jeopardizing their life and the lives of the others who may be on the road.  Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin; designate a sober driver and give that person the keys; if you’re impaired, use a taxi, stay where you are, or call a sober friend; and if you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to call Star G-S-P on your cell phone.  Star G-S-P (*477) is a free call to the nearest Georgia State Patrol Communications Center.

The July Fourth Zero Tolerance campaign is coordinated by the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety as part of the One Hundred Days of Summer Heat mobilization.

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