Bibb County Sherriff’s office receives $323K H.E.A.T. grant to crack down on impaired driving

More than 323 thousand dollars is headed to the Bibb County Sheriff’s office to crack down on impaired driving.  

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — More than $323,000 is headed to the Bibb County Sheriff’s office to crack down on impaired driving.  

The DUI and H.E.A.T grant will help the Bibb County Sheriff’s office with the goal of reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities on local roads. 

The program helps deputies target impaired drivers, speeding and other dangerous behaviors that can lead to crashes. Captain Scott Davis says the funding will allow deputies to step up enforcement and promote safer driving. 

“Every person that gets a citation for a seat belt, that’s a life saved,” he said. “That’s common terminology in the law enforcement community, especially in organizations like the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, you hear those terms frequently. This is a life saved.”

Davis says the success of the grant isn’t about recognition, but it it’s making a real difference on Bibb County roads. 

“We’re not here as a law enforcement body to win a trophy,” he said. “At the end of the day, at the end of the month, a six-month period, or the end of the year, we want to make a difference. Has the overall crash volume gone down? Have we reduced fatalities? Are we seeing higher seatbelt usage?”

Davis says deputies will review crash data at the end of the year to determine whether their enforcement efforts are helping reduce crashes. 

“When we look back at all the crashes, did we do something that kept it in check?” he said. “Did we do something that corrected it or lowered those numbers? We’ll know at the end of the year.”