Task Force targets distracted drivers | News

Local and state law enforcement officers contacted 957 motorists during the two-day operation and issued 720 citations and 235 warnings.

Deputies, officers and troopers issued 270 citations for failing to wear a seat belt, 260 for failing to comply with Georgia’s hands-free law and 106 for speeding.

Five people were cited for driving with a suspended license and 72 citations were issued for other traffic offenses.

The Thunder Task Force came in to assist with cutting down on distracted drivers, a leading cause of traffic accidents, according to Sheriff Lenn Wood.

Since 2020, Coweta County deputies have issued over 2,000 citations for distracted driving, including instances of hands-free violations, texting and driving, and watching videos while operating a vehicle.

To help combat distracted and aggressive driving, the sheriff’s office successfully launched its HEAT program in October 2022, made possible by a grant through the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Since then, Sheriff Lenn Wood said the HEAT unit has done an outstanding job in trying to save lives in Coweta County. However, the issue of distracted drivers continues to persist in the community.

From 2020 to 2022, citations for distracted driving hovered between 229 and 380 annually.

However, after introducing the HEAT program, deputies wrote 879 citations in 2023 for distracted driving and are already on track to beat that this year, with 367 citations written as of April.

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