The Georgia Department of Public Safety reports that seven people died in automobile crashes statewide during the 102-hour New Year’s holiday travel period, as troopers and officers worked high-visibility patrols across Georgia, including routes serving Northwest Georgia.
The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office has released incident reports detailing two separate DUI arrests from late 2025, involving calls for service on Mitchell Circle and West Spring Creek Road.
A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect early Sunday for Chattooga County and surrounding counties across Northwest Georgia as widespread patchy dense fog reduces visibility in many areas. Patchy dense fog is expected between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday, with the thickest fog producing visibility as low as one-quarter mile or less.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) has released an activity report for the New Year’s holiday travel period, showing hundreds of citations and dozens of serious crashes statewide.
Northwest Georgia will stay wet today as widespread rain continues through the morning and into the evening.
Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Troopers and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) Officers are urging drivers across Northwest Georgia to slow down and drive smart during the heavy-traffic Christmas and New Year’s travel windows, with high-visibility patrols planned statewide on interstates and state routes to help reduce crashes and fatalities. Georgia DPS has used these holiday periods for focused enforcement on unsafe behaviors like impaired driving, speeding, seatbelt violations, and distracted driving.
With Christmas and New Year’s travel picking up, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is issuing travel alerts and safety reminders for motorists across the state. Georgia DOT says it will temporarily suspend lane closures on interstates, major state routes, and roadways near key shopping areas, malls, and retail districts to reduce congestion during peak travel times.
AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the 13-day year-end holiday period from December 20 through January 1, a 2.2% increase over 2024 and higher than last year’s record. For Georgia, AAA forecasts a new milestone as well, projecting 3.8 million Georgians will travel during the same stretch, with the vast majority expected to drive and nearly 200,000 expected to fly.
Drivers across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia should be prepared for a tricky start to the day, as patchy dense fog is expected through about 10 a.m. Wednesday, especially in low-lying areas and valleys. Visibility may drop quickly from one stretch of road to the next, so slow down, use low beams, and leave extra following distance during the morning commute.
The Thanksgiving travel period is routinely the busiest time of year on Georgia roadways, and state officials say 11 people died in traffic crashes during this year’s holiday reporting window.
