Sheriff Ezell Brown, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) are issuing their only warning before the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season: Never drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any combination of substances.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) December Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving enforcement campaign begins Dec. 12 and runs through Jan. 1.

The Sheriff’s Office is joining state and local law enforcement agencies across Georgia in increasing DUI enforcement during the holiday season with the goal of saving lives and preventing crashes caused by impaired drivers. Troopers, deputies, and officers statewide maintain zero tolerance for drunk and drugged driving.

Zero tolerance means any driver found with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher will be arrested. No warnings will be issued, and drivers will not be allowed to call someone for a ride. The only ride impaired drivers will receive is a ride to jail.

“Nothing weighs heavier on us than notifying a family that a loved one isn’t coming home, especially during the holidays, because someone chose to drive impaired,” Brown said. “That’s why we work tirelessly to remove impaired drivers from our roads. Every arrest we make could mean a life saved.”

According to NHTSA, more than 4,900 people in the United States were killed in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in the month of December from 2019 to 2023. Two-thirds of the drunk driving fatalities in December 2023 involved a driver with a BAC of 0.15 or higher — nearly twice the legal limit in 49 states.

A Governor’s Office of Highway Safety fact sheet on impaired driving found that more than 80% of people killed in drunk driving crashes in 2023 were riding in the vehicle that was hit by the impaired driver. In addition, 45% of drivers involved in fatal crashes in the United States between midnight and 3 a.m. in December 2023 were drunk. Federal data also shows that nearly 70% of drunk driving crashes in Georgia in December from 2019 to 2023 involved a driver whose BAC was nearly twice the legal limit.

“If alcohol is part of the plan, then the plan must include arranging a ride with a sober driver, because driving after drinking is never worth the risk to yourself and others on the road,” said Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “For those who refuse to put their safety and the safety of others first, please know we have a jail cell ready and waiting for all drunk and drugged drivers we find on the road. Please think about yourself and others and make the right decision to call a friend, cab, or ride share for a sober ride.”

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and NHTSA offer the following tips to prevent drunk driving:

• Let family members or friends know they can call you anytime for a sober ride.

• Serve nonalcoholic beverages to designated drivers.

• Remember that designated drivers should not drink any alcohol.

• Take keys from guests who have been drinking and do not let them drive if they appear impaired.

• Encourage guests to stay the night if necessary.