Law enforcement urging safe road, water travel this Memorial Day weekend

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) expects more than one million Georgians to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend. Law enforcement agencies partnered for the "Belts and Jackets" Safety Tour across the state Wednesday, urging safe travel not just on the road, but in the water as well.

CORDELE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) expects more than one million Georgians to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend.

“During holiday periods, we know there’s going to be more traffic, which means we make sure to have more officers and troopers out there on the roads making sure everyone is doing what they need to,” said Capt. Crystal Zion, the Public Information Office Director for the Georgia State Patrol’s Department of Public Safety. 

According to GOHS, 15 people were killed in vehicle crashes during Memorial Day weekend last year. Law enforcement agencies partnered for the “Belts and Jackets” Safety Tour across the state Wednesday, urging safe travel not just on the road, but in the water as well.

Along with establishing a designated driver and fastening seat belts, Zion says increased traffic means drivers should give themselves more time to think and react.

“Slow down on those interstates,” Zion said. “Give yourself extra space when you’re around those big trucks. Put that cell phone down. Distracted driving is a great cause of a lot of crashes.”

Increased law enforcement presence won’t be exclusive to the road as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) state Game Warden crew will be out enforcing the rules on Georgia’s lakes and rivers as well. Georgia’s “100-foot law” states that boaters must operate 100 feet away from all objects in the water and expands to 200 feet for wake boats.

“That’s bridges, pylons, docks, people, the shoreline,” said Col. Mike England, Director of the DNR Law Enforcement Division. “If they’re within 100 feet they have to be at idle speed, and that’s as slow as the boat will go.”

According to the DNR, two drownings on Tuesday brought the statewide total to 27 this year. England says alcohol usage and being in the water is a bad combination, adding that the limits and penalties for drinking and boating is the same as drinking and driving.

“Our game wardens are out there trained to do field sobriety tests, and they make arrests for those people that are under the influence,” England said. 

England says whether you’re swimming, fishing, or on a boat, it’s always good to have a life jacket. He says avoiding collisions, right of way, and everything else boaters need to know to safe for Memorial Day and throughout the summer can be found in Georgia’s boater education course.

“Whether it’s a jet ski, or a ski boat, or a houseboat, or whatever it is, you need to understand what the rules and regulations are, and it’ll make everybody’s day more enjoyable and safe,” England said.