Wednesday, May 23, 2001
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Wednesday, May 23, 2001 |
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Caution urged with water fun, auto travel over Memorial Day A number of agencies are urging local residents to use caution while having fun during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. The Red Cross and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are urging caution when swimming and boating during Memorial Day get-togethers. Last year, 50 people drowned in public waterways and 10 others died in boating accidents, all of which "were easily preventable if a simple degree of caution had been practiced," said Chris Hughes, the CPR/first aid water safety product manager for the Metro Atlanta Red Cross. The Atlanta Chapter of the National Safety Council, AAA Auto Club South, the Coalition for Vehicle Choice and the Georgia State Patrol are also reminding motorists to use caution and buckle up for travel during the holiday weekend. The GSP is predicting 18 traffic fatalities along with 700 injuries from more than 2,300 automobile crashes this weekend. Georgia state troopers will patrol county roads along with state highways and interstates, said GSP Commander Col. George Ellis. Every available state trooper will be on patrol Friday and Monday, the heaviest travel days of the holiday period, Ellis added. The National Safety Council predicts 468 Americans will die in motor vehicle crashes over the holiday period. Of all child fatalities recorded in auto wrecks, six out of 10 victims were unbuckled, according to the NSC. More than 28 million Americans plan to travel by automobile for the weekend, according to AAA Auto Club projections. Recently, the Fayette County Sheriff's Department has been honored for achieving a high rate of seat belt use by motorists. The Sheriff's Department, the Fayetteville Police Department and the Tyrone Police Department are also participating in the nationwide "Click It or Ticket!" campaign to increase seat belt use. That campaign calls for the use of numerous roadblocks to identify and ticket violators, although warnings may be given out at the officers' discretion.
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