H.E.A.T. stands for Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic
ALBANY, GA -- Memorial Day weekend kicks off in just four days, and police want you to be safe on the road if you're traveling.
Their message is simple.
“Put your seatbelt on, wear it, and we'll just ride right on by. But if you don't wear it, we'll stop you and we'll write you a citation,” said Lt. Buddy Johnson with the Georgia State Patrol.
The 100 days of heat kicks off today in conjunction with the click it or ticket campaign. While you're getting ready for your vacation--so are local police.
And it's more than just seatbelts. They'll also be on the lookout for aggressive driving, texting and driving, and drunk driving. And getting a DUI is nothing like getting a speeding ticket.
“You'll be placed in handcuffs, you'll be taken to a local jail, you'll be finger printed and a picture will be made that you won't want to show your children,” said Harris Blackwood with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
The Dougherty County Police work so closely with this initiative, and have seen such great results, that they made their own Lt. Tom Jackson a Captain.
“Even though we're losing state funding, we're still continuing the program because of the success with it because again, it's about saving lives and we've showed that we've had a 40% reduction in that effort,” said Captain Jackson.
And law enforcement is working hard to improve those numbers. Beginning July first, parents will have to buckle up their six and seven year olds in a booster seat.
Over 1400 children of that age were injured or killed in car crashes.
“They're not quite tall enough for the seat belt to protect them without a little bit of help to lift them up,” said Blackwood.
You can find out more about the new law at gahighwaysafety.org.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWFXL