Law enforcement will be out in force tonight to make sure revelers haven't overindulged.
In Aiken County, officers will be at checkpoints to detect and deter drunken drivers.
"Motorists can expect checkpoints along main roadways such as SC-19 (Whiskey Road), US-1 (Richland Avenue), SC-118, SC-302 (Pine Log Road), as well as secondary roads throughout the city of Aiken," public safety Sgt. Jake Mahoney said.
Electronic message boards set up throughout the city remind motorists not to drive impaired and to have a designated driver, and warn of the enforcement.
In Georgia, law enforcement also will be conducting sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols during the 102-hour holiday period, which begins at 6 p.m. today and ends Sunday at midnight.
"Remember to plan ahead for your holiday parties and plan nonalcoholic beverages for designated drivers," Col. Bill Hitchens of the Georgia Department of Public Safety said in a statement, reminding party hosts to arrange alternate transportation for impaired guests.
One way to make sure a designated driver is available is to make reservations with cab companies.
Owners say they expect their drivers to be working overtime.
"We'll be getting them home safely so they can avoid DUIs," said Dave Shamblin, the owner of Aiken Taxi Service.
Last year, his drivers shuttled about 200 people on New Year's Eve, and this year Mr. Shamblin expects about the same volume.
"It's a busy night, but that's a good thing," he said. "I don't want them out there driving drunk."
Taxi cab companies in Augusta also are expecting a hectic night.
"People have already started making reservations, and we expect more," said Patricia Tucker, of Checker Cab Co.
Last year Checker had only seven drivers working. This year there will be 30.
Aiken Taxi is also accepting reservations, and it might be prudent to make one.
Mr. Shamblin says that people who call for a cab at 1:45 a.m. shouldn't expect it to arrive right away.
Reach Michelle Guffey at (803) 648-1395 or michelle.guffey@augustachronicle.com
CALL A CAB
These are some of the taxi companies in the area.
AUGUSTA:
- Checker Cab Co. -- (706) 736-3006
- Curtis Cab Co. -- (706) 722-9925
- Speedy Cab -- (706) 421-5496
- Yellow Cab of Augusta -- (706) 733-3444
AIKEN:
- Aiken Taxi Service -- (803) 642-9910
Comments
TO: justus4 on Wed Dec 31, 2008 3:46 AM. Are you still at a Bar? Has nothing to do with statistics of the past or future. It's a service that the cab companies provide for you and yours now if you do not have a designated driver. If you don't, stay home is the best. If you don't stay at home and go out and party, you might consider standing at a bus stop until they start their morning rounds.
The last thing you want to avoid in 2008 and the first thing you want to avoid in 2009 is a DUI arrest. It is a life changing event.
Even though they posted where to expect a checkpoint you will still have someone that is drunk try to drive through. It's just like the idiots that are triple the legal limit and think they can get on Fort Gordon when they have to do the face-to-face check point at the gate.
don't believe that is where the check points are going to be...they are opposite of what they say..don't be dumb and drive drunk..drive drunk w/drunk friends
WHocares, many people don't realize that until it's too late. I've seen how expensive it is for my co-workers. With attorneys, fines, fees, higher insurance, etc. It averages $6-10K for a DUI.
Justus4 you have a good point. Here is a novel idea, last day of the year, donate rides and take the tax write off, then you are promoting a community service.----------------Boston93, assuming you are from Boston, we at least had the T in good old bean town that runs all night on New Years Eve (still does BTW) you could go in town, have a good time, hop the T and worst case scenario you had to walk a block from the stop to your house. If Augusta would do the same this would be a safer place.-------
justus...you think taxi's are a racket? If you look at past years..most taxi companies have given free rides home to those who will surrender their car keys to the taxi driver. If fact this has been a tradition in Augusta for years. It would be a racket if they only had taxi's for this one night. But taxi's run Augusta's streets year round. I don't see that saving innocent people's lives as a racket! What are you just bored today can't think of anything useful to comment on?
PS...last year Augusta had some of the local wrecker drivers Towing cars & their drunk owners home for FREE. Actually Augusta has a desent record to trying to save lives by offering different ways to get home free..other than jail!
PSS...Coyote's Saloon on hwy #25 last year the owners Randy & Charlie Sconyers supplied their customers a free ride home in an effort to save lives & keep our streets just a little safer!
DoubleD...don't forget they plaster your picture of you all cross-eyed & drunk in the news paper & make you pay for the placement of your picture in the Chronicle.
justus4 is an idiot everybody just ignore his post's. As far as Aiken County SD way to go letting people know where your check points will be!!!! Smooth move exlax LOL
I always stay home on New Years Eve just because of people who will attempt to drive their cars rip-roaring drunk! Great attempt by law enforcement along with taxi and wrecker services but (unfortunately) there is always the person who believes they are invincible.
I oppose drunk driving. It's indefensible. I also oppose random checkpoints for anything. If you're observed and arrested, you deserve everything the law will do to you. If you are unobserved, then you got lucky. "Sobriety checkpoints" produce much more arrests than DUI. They remove "probable cause". A free society such as we once were would abhor this activity.
Being forewarned by Law Enforcement that drunk drivers WILL be targeted and that there WILL be checkpoints established on the highways.....and you STILL make the decision to drive drunk....would be just as stupid as it would be to continue driving and aiming your vehicle in an attempt to mow down a Law Enforcement official who hashis weapon drawn and trained on you and commanding you to stop your SUVor he will shoot you!!! I mean, how brain-dead would you have to be to try something like that????????
Police Targeting drunk drivers is PROFILING! I thought PROFILING was against the law.
police setting up checkpoints to target drunk drivers is not profiling. if the only people stopped were of a particular ethnicity, that would be profiling. as for legal issues surrounding random checkpoints, i certainly agree that constitutional freedoms are important; this time of year, though, i'd prefer to extend the authority of law enforcement personnel in the interest of public safety. people will think twice before getting behind the wheel drunk if they know random checkpoints are around and we all know that new year's parties are highly alcohol-fueled affairs. everyone be safe and bring in the new year with some common sense.
Drunk driving is no more dangerous than texting or talking on cell phone or reading a book while driving. I've seen them all .
At least a person drunk is doing their best to get home, whereas the others could care less about other drivers. they are in their own important world.
I so have to disagree with you Woodford. But I am not here to question your thoughts. I have to admit in my younger days when I thought I could take over the world and nothing could stop me. I would drive home from a bar knowing damn well I am not suppose to be behind the wheel of a car. This was before they had a DUI task force. Now if I go out to dinner I will only have one beer and that is my limit. My son thankfully has the DD system. Where if and when he is out and about they always have a DD.
woodford, you are stretching the truth a bit, don't you think? do you seriously believe a drunk is capable of paying attention to other drivers better than a sober person on a cell phone? i'll admit i'm annoyed by cell phoners in parking lots, but generally speaking i'd be surprised if there's a caller/texter in the same league as a drunk driver when it comes to impairment except in rare circumstances.
A trail of controversy seemed to follow Mr. Capobianco until he quit the sheriff's office in June 2003.
He was acquitted by a federal grand jury after being accused of using excessive force in the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Alfaigo Davis in 1998. Mr. Davis was shot 10 times by Mr. Capobianco and another deputy after he fled from them to a cul-de-sac on Jonathan Court in south Augusta.
In April 2001, Mr. Capobianco was suspended and later placed on probation for not turning in a Masters Tournament badge he found while working off-duty security at a nightclub. Three months later, he accidentally shot and seriously injured a fellow deputy during a school-shooting training exercise at the same facility he is accused of breaking into last month.
Huh Can we all just get along. Where did you pull that out of, or why even bring it up?
No, because I've seen people on cell phones almost hit me at traffic lights because they were holding the phone with one hand and waving the other in the air and eyes moving all over the place.
Obviously not looking at cars near them and so caught up in their conversations. You evidently are one of these people or you would have noticed it.
"because the number of fatalities recorded throughout each year remains constant and not going down"- well, this COULD be because the population keeps increasing. Honest to God, justus could make a racial incident out of a wet dishrag.
What's a country coming to when you can't drink and drive. Next thing you know suicide will be illegal. Cell phones now pose an equal or greater risk than drunk drivers studies show. Perhaps we should just make it illegal for "stupid MF's" to drive. I think that would go a longer way to curb the problem. Teach them stupid MFs to learn how to signal while we are at it. hee,hee,hee.
And the reason for posting the locations would be?
The reason is if a person is told where the checkpoint is and know that a checkpoint is operational then maybe, just maybe the person will think twice about drinking and driving. Also. you can bet your last dollar you will hear that in your DUI hearing. All I can say is if you feel like today is your lucky day and all of the stars and the moon are lined up just right, then go ahead and Drink and Drive. I promise we will to keep a sharp eye out for you and yours.
Dark Lord, I do think the answer to my question is a bit more complex than your somewhat simplistic answer. Personally, I don't think driving after drinking is the problem. Driving while impaired for whatever reason, be it lack of sleep, over indulgence in alcohol, over the counter or prescription drugs or illegal drugs, medical conditions, fights with the person in the car with you, distractions such as unruly children, disregard of what you are doing while on a cell phone, text messaging or searching for the desired music, even eating while driving is the problem. Sleep deprivation seems to be right up there with drunk driving.
relax, woodford, i was pulling your chain. i try to avoid hitting people at traffic lights if at all possible while i'm mindlessly texting or blabbing away. drinkin' don't mix well at all with drivin,' though, so i guess we'll just have to disagree on that one.
Misdirection is the key...ever see the sign on the road that says checkpoint ahead...then there is an exit...where do you think the BAD BOYS are?
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