2011 Hands across the border  

For six days leading up to the Labor Day holiday weekend, the Georgia State Patrol and local police and sheriff’s deputies participate in the Hands Across the Border highway safety awareness campaign. Georgia law enforcement joined their partners from bordering states Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee in a major southeastern Zero Tolerance impaired driving enforcement effort.  

Motorists who stopped at road checks and Visitors Centers in Georgia and bordering states received seatbelt, child safety seat and impaired driving brochures. This year, Hands Across the Border was part of the “One Hundred Days of Summer HEAT” campaign sponsored by the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety to raise awareness about the deadly consequences of speed, drunk and drugged driving, and failure to use safety belts and child restraints.

“Hands Across The Border is a great opportunity for Law Enforcement Officers of adjoining states to partner with each other and make a commitment to save lives on ALL our roadways. The event serves as a kick off to the Labor Day “Click it or Ticket” mobilization. During the events, law enforcement sends the message to the motoring public that traffic laws will be strictly enforced from state to state in an effort to save lives during the deadly Labor Day Holiday period. 

HATB traditionally is a series of media events at Welcome Centers around the state borders. Law Enforcement Officers from each state come together for a special program at the Georgia Welcome Center before motorcading to the adjoining state's welcome center for a continuation of the program. The highlight of the program is the handshake between two Law Enforcement officers from either side of the state lines, pledging their cooperation to work together in reducing fatalities and serious injuries during the holiday. The night before the HATB program, the two state's law enforcement agencies come together for multi state Sobriety Checkpoints or Saturation Patrols.