HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — One metro Atlanta county is majorly cracking down on speeding and drunk driving later this week.

The Thunder Task Force Traffic Enforcement operation will start Thursday morning in Henry County and run through Sunday morning.

Multiple agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Henry County Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in McDonough, Stockbridge, Hampton and Locust Grove will be enforcing speed limits, then hands-free law, seat belt and other traffic violations.

Officials said they are implementing the task force to try to help reverse a nearly 90% increase in traffic deaths over the last five years.

Officials said 45 people were killed in traffic crashes in Henry County in 2022.

“The majority of people obeying traffic laws should not have their lives endangered by selfish, dangerous, and reckless drivers,” Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said.  “As local law enforcement agencies work to recruit more deputies and officers, GOHS Thunder Task Force operations allow communities to increase enforcement of traffic laws with the goal of reducing crashes and saving lives.”

People traveling through Henry County this weekend should expect to drive through a sobriety checkpoint, officials said. Georgia law enforcement officers do not give warnings for drunk or drugged driving.

People who are caught with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher will be taken to jail and will not be allowed to call someone to drive them home.

“The goal of Thunder Task Force operations is to get people to choose to obey traffic laws, but our officers are ready to make arrests and issue tickets for those drivers who choose to endanger the lives of everyone on the road with dangerous and illegal driving behaviors,” officials said.

After the task force this weekend, officers will continue enhanced enforcement of speeding and driving violations over the coming months.

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