‘Hands Across the Border’ campaign targets drunk and drugged driving ahead of Labor Day weekend

Georgia law enforcement is issuing a stark warning to drivers as the 33rd annual “Hands Across the Border” drunk and drugged driving prevention and enforcement campaign begins Monday. The campaign, which runs through the week leading up to the Labor Day holiday, will see state troopers and local law enforcement officers in Georgia collaborating with their counterparts in Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee to conduct sobriety road checks on both sides of their respective state lines.

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“Drunk and drugged driving ruins too many lives and can be eliminated if everyone makes the right choice to never drink and drive,” said Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “When alcohol is part of the plan, then plan ahead for a ride with a sober, designated driver, cab, or rideshare and let family and friends know they can call you anytime they need a ride.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 40 percent of the people killed in crashes during the Labor Day holiday weekend in Georgia from 2018 to 2022 involved a driver with a Blood-Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Alarmingly, 60 percent of these deaths involved a driver with a BAC twice the legal limit.

In 2023, 26 people lost their lives in crashes during Georgia’s 78-hour Labor Day holiday weekend, making it the deadliest in the state in 15 years.

“Law enforcement officers in Georgia and our neighboring states are united in our mission to eliminate drunk and drugged driving deaths by convincing everyone to avoid a DUI arrest by simply making the smart decision to pass the keys to a sober driver,” said Roger Hayes, Director of GOHS Law Enforcement Services. “The goal of ‘Hands Across the Border’ is not to arrest anyone for DUI because that means everyone is heeding our warning. There will be no warnings or calls to a friend for those who are stopped for driving over the legal BAC limit. The next destination for those DUI drivers is the local jail.”

The “Hands Across the Border” initiative began before the 1991 Labor Day holiday as a friendly wager between state troopers in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida to see which agency could reduce drunk driving deaths. Over the years, it has grown into a week-long enforcement effort involving all states bordering Georgia.

The campaign’s northern enforcement group will conduct sobriety road checks starting Monday in Bremen with Alabama, moving to the Tennessee state line near Chatsworth on Tuesday, and then to South Carolina in Hartwell on Wednesday. The southern group will start in Columbus on Monday with Alabama, continue to Valdosta with Florida on Tuesday, and end at the Georgia I-95 Welcome Center in Kingsland on Wednesday. Both groups will conclude the campaign with South Carolina in Savannah.

For those traveling during the Labor Day weekend, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and NHTSA recommend allowing extra time for trips, always wearing a seat belt, designating a passenger to handle navigation, and planning ahead for a sober ride if alcohol is involved.

AAA-The Auto Club will also offer free tows and rides for drivers up to ten miles from 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 1st through 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 5th. The Tow-to-Go service is designed as a safety net for drivers who did not plan ahead for a sober ride, though appointments are not available.

“Be a hero by choosing not to drive after drinking,” urges Georgia law enforcement.

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