The day after Thanksgiving is a prize shopping day for bargain hunters, but for local law enforcement, it means streets jammed with vehicles.

Capt. Darin Shaw, head of Douglasville Police Traffic Division, said an additional 12 officers will be patrolling city streets during the holidays.

“Our main function will be to prevent gridlock if anyone needs emergency service,” Shaw said Tuesday. “We’ll be placing the officers at specific intersections where traffic is heavy.”

These areas will include the I-20 intersections on Highway 5 and Chapel Hill Road, along with intersections along Douglas Boulevard and Chapel Hill Road near Arbor Place mall.

Shaw said during lower traffic times, the additional officers will be patrolling for impaired drivers.

Douglas County Chief Deputy Stan Copeland said the county’s traffic unit will also be concentrating its efforts on high traffic areas over the weekend.

“We’ll also be looking for seat belt violations and impaired drivers,” he said.

The Georgia State Patrol announced Monday it will step up traffic enforcement during the 102-hour Thanksgiving holiday. Col. Bill Hitchens, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said troopers will be concentrating on seat belt and speed violations while watching for impaired drivers.

The holiday period begins at 6 p.m. today and ends at midnight Sunday. Patrol estimates are for 3,570 traffic crashes, 1,398 injuries and 16 traffic deaths. During last year’s Thanksgiving holiday, there were 3,815 traffic crashes, with 1,457 injuries and 19 fatalities.

Seven of the 19 people killed last year were not wearing seat belts and one of the victims died in an alcohol-related crash.

Hitchens said troopers and Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) officers are participating in “Operation Click It or Ticket” with law enforcement officers across the country.

“Seat belts save lives and are the best defense against crash related injuries and fatalities,” Hitchens said. “That’s why we enforce seat belt and child restraint laws.”

He also reminded motorists of Georgia’s “Steer It and Clear It” law that requires drivers involved in crashes with no apparent serious personal injuries or death to move the vehicles out of the traffic lanes if the vehicles are drivable.”

The highest number of traffic deaths ever recorded for the Thanksgiving holiday was 43 in 1969 and the lowest was four in 1949.