GOHS Praises GA State Patrol Atlanta Post 48 mattmontgomery  at:  5/20/2004 12:48:25 PM   Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety Deputy Director Rob Mikell recently presented an award to Georgia State Patrol Atlanta Post 48 for its outstanding participation during the latest Operation Zero Tolerance mobilization. Operation Zero Tolerance is part of the national "You Drink. You Drive. You Lose." campaign targeting impaired drivers on Georgia's roads.  Georgia State Patrol Atlanta Post 48 was among the top agencies in the state in its participation in getting Georgia's roads clear from drunk drivers. Below are some of the photographs of Deputy Director Mikell with the GSP Atlanta Post 48 Patrolmen.             Oconee County Sheriff's Office wins GOHS Award mattmontgomery  at:  5/20/2004 12:26:56 PM   OCONEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WINS OZT AWARD The Governor's Office of Highway Safety recently gave an award to the Oconee County Sheriff's Office for their efforts in the latest Operation Zero Tolerance Campaign. Operation Zero Tolerance is part of the national "You Drink. You Drive. You Lose." campaign targeting impaired drivers on Georgia's roads.  The Oconee County Sheriff's Office was praised for its commitment  to the program and its efficiency in reducing the number of drunk drivers on the roads. Pictured is GOHS Deputy Director Rob Mikell, Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis, Sheriff Scott Berry, and Deputy Attaberry.          Port Wentworth Police Win Safety Award mattmontgomery  at:  5/19/2004 11:35:54 AM   (L TO R) SGT MATT LIBBY, GOHS DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROB MIKELL, AND PORT WENTWORTH POLICE CHIEF JAMES MELVIN  PWPD SINGLED OUT FOR GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AWARD By Lynnette Spratley The Port Wentworth Police Department was singled out last week for recognition by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for the department’s efforts in the statewide Operation Zero Tolerance Program. Robert G. Mikell, Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, presented a certificate to the Port Wentworth Police Department.  “On behalf of Governor Sonny Perdue and Director Bob Dallas,” Mr. Mikell told Police Chief James Melvin, “I just want to tell you how much we appreciate your efforts of you and your department during “Operation Zero Tolerance”. Operation Zero Tolerance places an emphasis on reducing the number of impaired drivers on Georgia’s roads, Mr. Mikell said.  “Its part of the national “You Drink. You Drive. You Lose”campaign. There are a lot more people celebrating during the Christmas and New Year Holidays, and through education and media events, we try to raise folks’ awareness about impaired driving.  But there are always those who won’t get the message without the backing of enforcement and that’s one of the roles that the Port Wentworth Police Department played.  We’re here to thank them for their work.” Since 2002, programs like Operation Zero Tolerance have helped bring down Georgia’s highway death toll, Mr. Mikell said.  During the holiday campaign in 2003, Port Wentworth officers issued 491 citations, catching three fugitives, and taking 17 impaired drivers off the road. Mr. Mikell told Chief Melvin, “A lot of components have to come together for this to be a successful campaign.  One of them is for the chiefs to let their officers know how important it is.  That’s where you come in, and we appreciate that from you.  And, of course, the officers on the street also have to get involved and let the folks know how important this is, and your officers have done that.  We’re really grateful to you for the effort that you have put forth.” The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety recognized only four outstanding Sheriff’s Offices, four Police Departments, and four State Patrol posts out of hundreds statewide. About four people die every day on Georgia’s highways, Mr. Mikell said, and impaired driving—whether through abuse of alcohol or drugs—is a major contributing factor.  “To get out there and let folks know, especially during the holiday season, what the law is, what’s acceptable and what’s not, is very important, “ he said.  “We’re grateful to have (Port Wentworth) officers out there on the street putting it on the line for all the citizens of Georgia and letting people know if they do drive impaired under alcohol or drugs, they will go to jail.” Chief Melvin said, "We appreciate the recognition. Our department is committed to making the roads safer for our citizens, and participating in programs through the Governor's Office of Highway Safety helps us to do that.  Sergeant Matt Libby worked very hard on the program to make it a success for the entire department."         GOHS Honors Fallen Law Enforcement Officers mattmontgomery  at:  5/11/2004 12:33:51 PM   GOHS REMEMBERS.... (FOR THE FULL STORY, VISIT HTTP://WWW.GAHIGHWAYSAFETY.ORG/GOHSREMEMBERS.HTML) Representative of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety will journey to Washington, D.C. during the week of May 10th through 15th to take part in a ceremony honoring Georgia's fallen officers at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial during National Police Week 2004. As part of the GOHS mission to save lives on our roadways and to educate motorists about dangerous driving behaviors, we recognize the efforts of law enforcement officers who have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in the line of duty. We also reflect on the officers who lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes while partnering with GOHS to fulfill that mission. This year, 362 Officers' names will be added to the Law Enforcement Memorial Wall in Washington, DC and remembered on May 15, 2004. The number includes 145 officers who were killed in the line of duty in 2003. Ten of them were killed in Georgia, now ranked as the second highest state for officers killed in 2003. Nationally, of the 145 Officers killed during 2003, 52 were killed in Automobile Crashes, the greatest cause of death. In Georgia, the number of officers killed in traffic related incidents repesents an even more compelling figure. Out of the ten Georgia officers killed in 2003, six were killed in traffic crashes, including a Georgia State Trooper killed during a pursuit. One officer was killed in a vehicular assault and another was shot durin a traffic stop. In addition to these Georgia heroes, the Memorial Research Department has uncovered 217 historic cases whose names will be added to the Memorial Wall this year. The GOHS Deputy Director and Special Operations Director will attend the Candlelight Vigil and the Police Memorial Ceremonies in Washington DC and meet with as many of the Georgia officers' families as possible. GOHS thanks these families for the sacrifices these heroes made for the people of Georgia and recognizes their dedication to saving lives on Georgia's roadways while putting their own lives at risk. A local Memorial Service will be held at the Georgia Police Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia on May 21st at 10 a.m. For more information about National Police Week, visit http://www.nleomf.com/ or the Officer Down Memorial Page.         National Traffic Crash and Fatalities Report mattmontgomery  at:  4/29/2004 12:28:24 PM   DOT Releases Preliminary Estimates Of 2003 Highway Fatalities Injuries from motor vehicle crashes declined slightly in 2003, to the lowest levels since such data have been kept, according to preliminary estimates from the U. S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The report on fatalities is mixed, however, with 43,220 deaths overall on the nation’s highways in 2003, up slightly from 42,815 in 2002.  NHTSA estimates that the fatality rate in 2003 remained unchanged from 2002 - 1.5 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Motorcycle fatalities rose by 348 to 3,592, an 11 percent increase. Passenger car fatalities declined by 778, but SUV fatalities increased by 456, 55 percent of which were rollover crashes. This increase was partially accounted for by increases in SUV sales. Declining fatalities in passenger cars and injuries overall can be attributed to more crashworthy vehicles in the fleet and increases in safety belt use. In 2003, 58 percent of those killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing safety belts. Forty percent (17,401) of all fatalities were alcohol-related, essentially unchanged from 2002. This underscores the value of the need for states to adopt standard safety belt laws and to increase enforcement of impaired driving laws. "This problem will not be solved in Washington, DC, alone," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge, M.D. "We need the cooperation of every American to drive responsibly, fasten his or her safety belt and care for each other’s safety on the roads." NHTSA earlier estimated that highway crashes cost society $230.6 billion a year, about $820 per person. "Although we are seeing progress in some areas, our nation must take this epidemic seriously," said Dr. Runge. "Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in American children and young adults, but that can change through personal responsibility and enforcement of laws and regulations." NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) also shows that, in 2003: Pedestrian deaths declined 2.8 percent from 4,808 in 2002 to 4,672 in 2003. Fatalities from large truck crashes increased slightly from 4,897 in 2002 to 4,942 in 2003, a 0.9 percent rise. Deaths of children seven and under remained near historic low levels, with 972 children seven and under killed, compared with 968 in 2002. The number of fatal crashes involving young drivers (16-20) declined by 3.7 percent (from 7,738 in 2002 to 7,452). In 2003, vehicle miles traveled increased slightly to 2.88 trillion, up from 2.86 trillion in 2002, according to the DOT’s Federal Highway Administration. There were larger than normal increases in vehicle miles traveled in the last half of the year, consistent with improvements in the economy. The number of registered vehicles increased from 225.7 million in 2002 to 230.2 million in 2003. NHTSA annually collects crash statistics from 50 states and the District of Columbia to produce the annual report on traffic fatality trends. To read the full NHTSA report, click on: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/PPT/2003EARelease.pdf This report requires the Adobe Reader to view.  Click on  to get the Reader.      First Page   Prev. Page   Next Page   Last Page

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