Hands Across the Border campaign targets drunk driving ahead of Labor Day

Law enforcement officers in Georgia and four neighboring states are teaming up to keep impaired drivers off the road ahead of the Labor Day holiday.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The 34th annual “Hands Across the Border” campaign begins Monday, August 25 and runs through Friday, August 29.

State troopers and local law enforcement agencies in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee will conduct sobriety checkpoints near state lines to send a clear message: drunk and drugged driving will not be tolerated.

The campaign coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement effort. Georgia officials say anyone caught with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher will be arrested on the spot.

According to NHTSA, nearly 40% of people killed in crashes during Labor Day weekends in Georgia from 2019 to 2023 involved an impaired driver.

Roger Hayes, Director of Law Enforcement Services at the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, urged drivers to plan ahead.

“Just don’t do it. There’s so many different ways now that you don’t have to do that. You got rideshares, you got a friend, call a friend. Triple A even has the Tow-To-Go Program,” Hayes said. “We want you to have a good time, but plan ahead.”

Officials also warn that the cost of a DUI arrest can reach $10,000 in legal fees, fines, and higher insurance rates, not including the potential for losing a job or worse, a life.

AAA will once again offer its “Tow-to-Go” program during the holiday weekend, providing free tows up to 10 miles for drivers who need a safe ride.