Thunder Task Force launching traffic crackdown in Warner Robins this weekend
Law enforcement agencies will launch a three-day traffic enforcement operation in Warner Robins starting Thursday, targeting impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving and seat belt violations, according to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Law enforcement agencies will launch a three-day traffic enforcement operation in Warner Robins starting Thursday, targeting impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving and seat belt violations, according to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).
The Thunder Task Force, led by GOHS, will work with the Warner Robins Police Department, Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, Middle Georgia Traffic Enforcement Network and GOHS Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) Units to crack down on traffic law violations through Sunday morning.
The operation starts Thursday morning with officers from multiple agencies enforcing Georgia’s hands-free law, seat belt use and speed limits in Warner Robins. On Friday and Saturday nights, the Middle Georgia Traffic Enforcement Network and GOHS H.E.A.T. units will conduct DUI checkpoints aimed at removing impaired drivers from the roads.
Drivers should expect to see increased police presence, including DUI checkpoints and traffic stops. Officials are urging drivers to obey Georgia’s Move Over Law, which requires motorists to switch lanes if possible or slow down by at least 10 mph below the speed limit when passing law enforcement vehicles with emergency lights activated.
Georgia law prohibits operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher. Drivers found over the legal limit will be arrested without the opportunity to call for a ride.
“There should be no one killed in a drunk or drugged driving crash in our state and nation because all of these deaths are caused by someone making the wrong decision to drive when they know they should not be behind the wheel,” GOHS Director Allen Poole said. “That is why we are warning everyone to plan ahead for a ride with a sober driver because any driver found during this operation that is over the legal limit is going to be arrested. No excuses. No warnings.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 26 people died in passenger vehicle crashes in Warner Robins from 2018 to 2022, and 28% of those fatal crashes involved a driver with a BAC of 0.08 or higher. Nearly 60% of fatal impaired-driving crashes in Warner Robins during that period involved a driver with twice the legal BAC limit.
State data from 2023 also revealed that 25% of fatal crashes in Warner Robins involved a confirmed impaired driver.
“Taking drunk and drugged drivers off the road saves lives, and troopers, deputies, and officers would rather make a DUI arrest than have to tell a family that a loved one is not coming home because they were killed by someone who made the foolish decision to drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a mixture of both substances,” GOHS Law Enforcement Services Director Roger Hayes said. “We announce these events in advance because the goal is to keep drunk and drugged drivers off the road, and we are giving you a warning now, but there are never any warnings for those drivers caught over the limit by the Thunder Task Force.”
