Georgia does not take drinking and driving lightly. It has some of the toughest DUI penalties in the United States. And when a holiday approaches, Georgia traffic safety officials ramp up the public awareness of the serious problems caused by impaired driving.
According to an AlbanyHerald.com news item, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) has warned all would-be drunk drivers to take it easy over St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Like any other holiday, St. Patrick’s Day is a cause for celebration—and celebration often involves drinking. So, the GOHS is taking this opportunity to remind Georgia motorists just how devastating drunk driving can be.
The GOHS promises that any driver found on the road over the weekend with a BAC over 0.08, the legal limit, will be arrested. “No warnings; no excuses,” officials said.
GOHS Director Harris Blackwood said, “While the familiar refrain on St. Patrick’s Day might be ‘Kiss me, I’m Irish,’ we’d much rather hear impaired partygoers say, ‘Drive me; I’m drunk’ to a sober friend, family member, or taxi driver.”
In the four years from 2006 to 2010, over 700 Americans died in drunk driving accidents during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.
The GOHS is reminding all Georgia drivers of the new “Drive Sober Georgia” smart phone application. If you own an Apple or an Android device, you can access safe and sober ride options anywhere in the state.
The GOHS also suggests that everyone who parties plan ahead for how they will get home. The organization also says you can designate a sober driver in your group, use a taxi, call a sober friend, or use public transportation. And taking the keys away from a drunk friend may save more than one life.
