Police cracking down on Halloween revelers who drink and drive

Peachtree City police and Fayette County sheriff’s deputies will be on the prowl early for Halloween Friday night.

They will be joined by other metro agencies that are stepping up enforcement by setting up roadblocks and extra patrols in the area to check for drunk drivers.

The effort is in response to the growing number of fatal crashes attributed to drunk drivers on Halloween night, officials said. More than 40 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes last year involved a driver or motorcyclist who was legally drunk, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Halloween should be a time for scary costumes, trick or treating with the kids and good family fun,” said Peachtree City Police Chief James Murray.

Also joining the effort will be the Georgia State Patrol and police departments from Atlanta, Austell, Clayton County and DeKalb County.