January 28, 2009 Holli Bragg

hbragg@connectstatesboro.com

    Local law enforcement will be stopping a lot more drivers over the next few months as “Operation Rolling Thunder” lowers the boom on unsafe drivers.
    An “unacceptable number of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities in Bulloch County,” as well as an increase of “high-risk and unsafe drivers in this high-crash corridor” prompted the Georgia Office of Highway Safety to bring the operation to the Bulloch County area, said Jim Shuler, GOHS Director of Public Affairs.
    This means over the next 90 days, local law enforcement agencies will be working together to conduct safety checks throughout the county. The effort combines the Georgia State Patrol Post 45, Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, Statesboro Police Department, Georgia Southern University Police and other agencies.
    “You may see anywhere from 25 to 75 units of this task force,” said Statesboro Police Chief Stan York. “Safety is our number one priority out there on the roadway.”
    “We’ll be all over Bulloch County,” York said. The checkpoint locations and times will not be announced, and will focus on areas where there have been high percentages of DUI, speeding, reckless and other high-risk drivers, he said.
    Within the city of Statesboro alone, the number of accidents decreased slightly from 2,087 in 2007 to 2,071 in 2008, but the percentage of alcohol-related accidents almost doubled, he said.
    In 2007 there were 26 alcohol-related accidents inside the city limits, but in 2008 the number ballooned to 48 accidents resulting from intoxicated drivers, he said.
    “I don’t know why,” he said, adding that traffic stops overall increased by only 9 percent and warnings only increased by 8 percent from 2007 to 2008.
    Bulloch County Sheriff Lynn Anderson said deputies will participate in the checkpoints as well.
    “We’ll be fully involved over the next 90 days,” he said. “We want to reduce fatalities and enforce traffic laws.”
    Not only will deputies be helping with check points, they will be increasing patrols in response to complaints about speeding vehicles, reckless drivers and other traffic concerns in the area, he said. “We’ll have a pretty good show of force and maybe save some lives.”
    The high visibility of having large numbers of law enforcement units at a check point emphasizes the task force’s seriousness in reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities.

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