Law enforcement agencies to begin sobriety road checks ahead of Labor Day holiday

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — A multi-agency campaign aimed at curbing drunk and drugged driving is set to begin on Monday.

The “Hands Across the Border” campaign, hosted by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), Georgia State Patrol (GSP), GOHS Western Central Traffic Enforcement Network, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and local law enforcement agencies, will conduct sobriety road checks in Columbus and Phenix City during the first night of the week-long drunk and drugged driving prevention campaign.

The campaign hopes to send a strong message to drivers ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 36% of people killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. during the 2023 Labor Day holiday weekend involved at least one alcohol-impaired driver with a BAC limit of .08 or above. 

The “Hands Across the Border” campaign began in 1991 when Georgia State Patrol troopers in southeast Georgia joined their counterparts at the Florida Highway Patrol in northeast Florida to reduce an increase in drunk driving deaths in the area with enhanced enforcement. The campaign now includes all states neighboring Georgia. 

The campaign kicks off Monday, Aug. 25 at 6:00 p.m. at Victory Mission Church located at 3448 North Lumpkin Road.