Police Crack Down on Holiday Traffic (with checkpoints)

Atlanta News 11, WXIA ^ | May 20, 2002 | Sean Rowe

[Mulder]

Police in Georgia -- and throughout the U.S. -- are gearing up for a national crackdown on unsafe drivers this Memorial Day weekend.

Patrols will be on the lookout for drunk drivers, speeders, children not riding in safety seats and passengers not wearing seatbelts.

The campaign is in full swing throughout this week, with the weekend marking the unofficial start of the holiday season. Police officers will be patrolling in cars, on horseback and on foot.

Georgia Law enforcement will also be taking part in the Click It or Ticket program that targets both non- and part-time users of seat belts and child safety restraints.

During last year's Memorial Day weekend, Click It of Ticket showed a 10 percent increase of overall seatbelt usage in Georgia.

Highway Safety Director Yvonne McBride said, "People are seeing checkpoints wherever they go. So, during that two-week period, we're getting people in the habit of buckling up because they're scared that they're going to receive a ticket if they don't."

According to federal figures, thousands of drivers aged 16 to 19 years old die in traffic accidents each year. They more than double the rate of older drivers.

More than 37,000 fatal crashes happened in 2001, according to the National Transportation Safety Highway Association. The accidents claimed 41,730 lives.

A total of 16,652 died in alcohol-related accidents, accounting for almost 40 percent of all fatal accidents in 2001.

However, officers said they aren't picky about who they pull over. Anyone breaking the law can expect to be given a ticket.

"This gentleman was speeding and he was not wearing his seatbelt. A double whammy," said one police officer, "Some people just never learn, but we'll teach them the hard way."

[BlackbirdSST]

"Some people just never learn, but we'll teach them the hard way."

It's good to see the JBT mentality has made it down to the local level. There was a time in Amerika, when the local's were considered to be our last line of defense, they've been federalized, ain't it great? Of course they have nothing better to do. Terrorist are banking on it. Blackbird.

[BlackbirdSST]

Another train of thought could be that due to the threat of attacks over the holidays, checks points will be used to stop swarthy middle eastern looking males under the guise of cracking down on seatbelt abuses and drunk driving. Thereby avoiding any claim of unfair profiling.

Yea, modeled after airport security, no doubt! Blackbird.

[Lion's Cub]

Another train of thought could be that due to the threat of attacks over the holidays, checks points will be used to stop swarthy middle eastern looking males under the guise of cracking down on seatbelt abuses and drunk driving. Thereby avoiding any claim of unfair profiling.

What was their excuse last year? Were they finally looking for the Islamics who participated in OKC or brought down TWA800?