SafetySmart Lilburn

Be Safe Behind the Wheel, Don't Drink and Drive

SafetySmart Lilburn tackles drunk driving this week, and hopes Lilburn residents are staying safe during this holiday time.

As the holiday season is here, there is a tendency to have more parties than usual to attend. When alcohol is served, it is easy to drink more than you planned because of the good company, conversation and relaxation…but this tendency also raises the chances of driving impaired.  GUIDE (Gwinnett United in Drug Education) issued a report this week that one out of every seven drivers on a Friday or Saturday night is impaired, either under the influence of alcohol or drugs; that number goes up during any holiday.  Nearly half of all motor vehicle fatalities are alcohol related.  About 12% of drivers involved in fatal crashes are young drivers, aged 15-20 years—on a positive note, the number of vehicle accidents in this age range has decreased…

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Police Will Be Out in Force for St. Paddy's Day

Don't drive drunk; pick a designated driver or call for a ride.

The Gwinnett County Police Department urges St. Patrick’s Day party-goers to have a plan before heading out tonight because the department surely has one. Cpl. Jake Smith said in a press release issued just after noon that county officers will team with the Sheriff’s Department to conduct “large-scale traffic enforcement” tonight. “The operation will be county-wide and place special emphasis on preventing drunk driving,” Smith said in the release. Police urge party-goers to pick a designated driver, call a cab, or call a friend or family members for a safe ride home.

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Drunk Drivers and Radar Guns on New Year's Eve

Just because it looks like Gwinnett and Lilburn PDs have lost their radar guns, it doesn't mean the streets are going to be any less safe.

Just because it looks like local police won't have electronic means to catch speeders come Jan. 1, it doesn't mean motorists — especially New Year's Eve revelers — will have an advantage once the clock hits 12:01 a.m. One of the fallouts from the ongoing dispute over services between Gwinnett city and the county leaders is that the permits needed for police forces in Gwinnett to use radar or lasers to catch speeders will expire at the end of today (See story). But local police officials say that won't make it easier for drunk drivers to break the law after the party. According to the public information officers for Lilburn and Gwinnett, determining a DUI shouldn't be affected. "Radars and lasers are good tools for traffic enforcement, but …

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