ATLANTA — The Labor Day holiday weekend is here, and plenty of people are hitting the road to celebrate the unofficial end of summer.
More than 2.3 million travelers are expected to pass through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport during the holiday travel period, and road traffic is also expected to be heavy.
Georgia law enforcement will be highly visible this weekend, with troopers cracking down on risky driving behavior.
Cpt. Crystal Zion with the Georgia Department of Public Safety is warning drivers against becoming another statistic.
“One choice can change so many lives by driving drunk. Find that sober driver, find that Lyft or Uber or anything that you can to get to your destination safely,” she said.
Last year, there were 435 DUI arrests and 15 fatalities statewide during the Labor Day holiday period.
Officials say troopers will also be looking for seat belt and child safety seat violations, speeding and distracted driving.
Zion says one of the department’s biggest goals this holiday weekend is reducing the number of deaths.
“Last year, our department along with local agencies worked 15 fatalities across the state,” Zion said. “Obviously, one of our biggest goals always on holiday periods is to avoid those fatalities. We would love to be able to say that we had zero fatalities.”
Crashes can also leave people injured. Zion says the Department of Public Safety worked 359 crashes last year, resulting in 238 injuries.
“All together across the department of public safety, we worked 359 crashes last year with 238 injuries,” Zion added.
Georgia officials are urging drivers to make safe decisions before getting behind the wheel this holiday weekend.