The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) and Georgia DOT have released their joint predictions for traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities for the 2006 Thanksgiving Holiday. Facing the heaviest traveled and longest holiday traffic period of the year, the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) is coordinating the statewide Click It Or Ticket safetybelt campaign and the Georgia Department of Public Safety is making plans for stepped up safetybelt enforcement.

Law enforcement officers have reason for concern, because the holiday outlook for Georgia highways is a deadly one: The Crash Reporting Unit of the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia State Patrol are predicting 20 people will die during the Thanksgiving Holiday. Their predictions call for another 1,301 people to be injured in 2,915 traffic crashes on Georgia roads before the conclusion of the 102-hour Thanksgiving travel period.

The holiday period begins at 6 p.m., Wednesday, November 22, and ends at midnight, Sunday, November 26. Last year during a similar 102-hour holiday period, there were 2,760 traffic crashes that resulted in 1,227 injuries and 17 traffic deaths. Nationwide, 55% of all traffic crash victims killed last year during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend were NOT wearing their safetybelts.

“These high fatality predictions are the very reason we’ve asked every law enforcement agency across the state to roll out high-visibility road checks and concentrated patrols for the November Click It Or Ticket Campaign,” said GOHS Director Bob Dallas. “Officers from Pine Mountain to Pulaski will be writing tickets to remind motorists to wear their safety belts. This is not about writing more tickets. It’s about saving more lives.”

Georgia State Troopers and officers from the state’s Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) will be out in full force to keep down the number of traffic deaths on Georgia roads. DPS Commissioner, Colonel Bill Hitchens said every available trooper and MCCD officer will be on patrol during the heaviest travel times of the 102-hour long holiday period.

“Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busier holiday periods and that increases traffic volumes,” said the GSP’s Colonel Hitchens. “With that volume also comes an increase in chances for you to be involved in a traffic crash.” During previous Thanksgiving holiday periods, failure to use safety belts has been a major contributing factor in more than half of Georgia’s traffic deaths.

During the past five years, 82 people have been killed in crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period. Over that five year period, 16,171 reported traffic crashes have resulted in 5,727 injuries. The highest number of traffic deaths ever recorded for the Thanksgiving holiday period was 43 in 1969 and the lowest was four in 1949.

The Governor's Office of Highway Safety reminds motorists who will be on the roads during the holiday period to plan their trips carefully by allowing ample time to reach their destination, plan for rest stops along the way, obey the posted speed limit, don’t drive if you have consumed alcoholic beverages, and make sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained.

“Safetybelts aren’t just for the long road-trips to grandma’s house,” said GOHS Director Dallas. “They’re lifesavers for the cross town shopping hop to the mall too. Safetybelts should become a part of every family’s holiday tradition. For safety’s sake, everyone should be buckled-up, every seat, every trip, every time.”

Now through the end of the year is also the time when police see a noticeable increase in the number of drunk drivers on our highways. “The Thanksgiving holiday period traditionally begins the Christmas party season and a buckled safety belt is still your best protection against encountering an impaired driver on the road,” said Director Dallas. “When making your party plans, be sure to include a designated driver.”

In partnership with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and the Atlanta based Road Safe America foundation, Governor Sonny Perdue has signed a proclamation declaring November 26, 2006, as “Drive Safer Sunday.” The Sunday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest highway travel day of the year and the Governor’s proclamation encourages all Georgians to focus on driving more safely to avoid fatal car crashes this holiday travel season.

The holiday traffic count is updated throughout the holiday weekend beginning Thanksgiving morning at the Department of Public Safety web site: http://dps.georgia.gov

Web: www.gahighwaysafety.org