Georgia State Patrol and local Law Enforcement are urging caution when traveling this New Years Holiday.

The 78-hour New Year’s holiday period will begin at Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. and end Jan. 3 at 11:59 p.m. According to AAA Travel, there will be a 29% decrease in holiday travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3, compared to last year’s holiday season. During the 2020 New Year’s holiday travel period, which was 30-hours long, GSP worked 143 crashes that resulted in 71 injuries and two fatal crashes resulting in two fatalities. In addition, troopers and officers issued 5,083 citations, 7,275 warnings, and arrested 160 people for driving under the influence.

Sheriff Schrader asks all Chattooga County residents to remember that Sheriff Deputies, along with GSP, will be out tonight and all holiday weekend looking for impaired drivers. Per the Sheriff, “Please don’t end 2020 worse than it already has been for everyone. You can drink or you can drive, you just can’t do both.”