Saturday is New Year’s Eve, which means celebrations and parties around the Dalton area. The Dalton Police Department reminds everyone to use caution to have a safe and happy celebration.
The state of Georgia saw an 11% decrease in impaired driving related fatalities during 2010, but that is not slowing down law enforcement agencies across the state in targeting drivers that drive impaired. The Dalton Police Department will be doing our part as well by using tools such as road checks and saturated patrols on New Year’s Eve to target impaired drivers.
This year’s slogan is “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” during Operation Zero Tolerance which will end January 1, 2012.
Here are some tips to keep your New Year's celebration safe:
If you plan to host a New Year’s Eve party:
- Make sure your guests have designated sober drivers.
- Never serve alcohol to guests under 21-years-of-age.
- Serve plenty of food…And include soft drinks, juice, and water.
- Take car keys from anyone who thinks about driving impaired.
- Keep the numbers for local cab companies on hand for impaired guests.
If you plan to attend a New Year’s Eve party, here are some tips to ensure that you arrive home safely:
- Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give them your car keys.
- Volunteer to be the designated driver or offer to be one next time out.
- Before you party, program local cab company numbers in your cell phone so a safe ride is just a call away.
- Pace yourself. Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
- Never let a friend out of sight if you think they’re about to drive impaired.
The Dalton Police Department would like to remind motorists of its Zero-Tolerance policy on impaired driving, and ask the help of all motorists to make this a safe New Year on the roadways by, Buckling Up, Slowing Down and Driving Sober.
The Dalton Police Department gets complaints every year of fireworks and celebratory gunfire as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. It’s illegal to use most fireworks in Georgia, and it’s illegal to discharge a firearm within the city limits of Dalton. These laws will be enforced. Remember, even if you’re firing a gun into the air in celebration, those bullets will come down somewhere.
The Dalton Police Department reminds you to stay alert and stay safe as you celebrate this weekend. And, we wish everyone a Happy New Year!
A two yr old child was killed by a stray bullet two years ago near Atlanta New Year's. DON'T celebrate that way of firing the weapon in the air !!
Posted by: Clay Dykes | December 31, 2011 at 07:40 PM