Atlanta—Summer 2009 marks the sixth consecutive year that waves of law enforcement patrols in 159 counties will be cracking down on the dangerous, aggressive and high-speed drivers who place hundreds of innocent lives in peril on Georgia highways every summer.

Safety experts define Speeding as a high risk behavior behind the wheel. In Georgia the counter measure is called the “100 Days of Summer H.E.AT.”

H.E.A.T. stands for “Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic.” The 100 Days of Summer H.E.A.T. campaign is a multi-jurisdictional highway safety enforcement strategy designed to reduce high-fatality crash-counts during the potentially deadly summer holiday driving period from Memorial Day through the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays.

This year, H.E.A.T. enforcement began Monday, May 18, on the same day as Georgia’s statewide Click It Or Ticket safety belt enforcement initiative. Law enforcement agencies across the state are once again rolling-out a full-scale, high-profile enforcement mobilization to crackdown on the most dangerous speed offenders.

“So waves of law enforcement patrols including police, sheriff’s deputies, State Troopers and State Motor Carrier Compliance officers will help us focus on the high-speed motorists, the impaired motorists, and the unbuckled motorists who make highways dangerous for the safe drivers across Georgia,” said Director Bob Dallas of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).

“Why? Because speed kills,” said Dallas. “Our highway safety data shows speed, impaired driving and unbuckled drivers and passengers are still the top three causes of fatality crashes, not only during the summer holidays, but throughout the year.”

The summer-long enforcement campaign is designed to make those high-risk drivers feel the H.E.A.T. on their checkbooks, with big points on their license and higher insurance rates. H.E.A.T. means citations for speeding and aggressive driving. Tickets for failing to buckle-up their kids or wear safety belts. And jail time for drunk and drugged driving.

“The message to Georgia’s high-risk drivers is clear,” said Dallas. “Safety belt, DUI, and speed law violations will not be tolerated. So once again it’s time to buckle-up, secure the kids in their safety seats, drive sober and obey the speed limits during the summer holiday driving period.”