Local and state law enforcement officers will have extra patrols during the New Year’s weekend to combat impaired drivers and speeders.

“Our traffic division will be out in full force, conducting road checks at various locations throughout the city,” said Capt. Darin Shaw, head of the Douglasville Police Department traffic division. “We plan to have high visibility on the streets and roads this weekend.”

“All our traffic units will be out, especially looking for DUIs during the late hours,” said Douglas County Chief Deputy Stan Copeland. “My suggestion is for people to get a designated driver. We’ll be cutting no slack for DUIs.”

Copeland said traffic officers will also be concentrating on child restraints during earlier hours.

“We’ve done everything we can to show people how to put children in proper restraints,” Copeland said. “We’re going to be cracking down. We see too many unrestrained children in cars. Sometimes cars are overloaded and children are sitting in adults’ laps.”

The 78-hour New Year’s weekend begins at 6 p.m. today and ends at midnight Sunday. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) estimates that 2,300 accidents will occur, with 1,004 injuries and 16 deaths.

During last year’s 102-hour New Year’s holiday, Georgia had 2,998 traffic mishaps, resulting in 1,222 injuries and 22 deaths.

Last year, Georgia recorded 46 deaths during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

“Nine of those deaths involved alcohol impaired drivers,” said Jim Shuler, GOHS spokesman. “In addition, 31 of the 46 people killed were not wearing seat belts. Eight of the victims were pedestrians.”

Shuler advises New Year’s celebrants to plan for a designated driver, buckle up and drive slower.

The state’s super speeder law takes effect Friday. The new law adds an additional $200 fine for drivers going above 85 mph on four-lane roads and interstate highways or 75 mph on two-lane roads. These extra state fines will be in addition to the original local speeding fines. Proceeds from the fines, expected to total about $23 million per year, will go to the state’s network of trauma hospitals.