Update: After July 4th, with 18 hours left in the holiday travel period, GDPS report 6 fatalities on Georgia roads

Update

At 6 a.m. on July 5, Georgia Department of Public Safety reported six fatalities on Georgia roads prior to the final 18 hours of the 78-hour America’s 250th Anniversary July 45th travel period. None of the fatalities occurred in Walton or Gwinnett counties. The travel period ends at 11:59 p.m. on July 5th.

🚨 Sunday Morning Holiday Patrol Update 🚨

The numbers continue to climb as the holiday weekend progresses.

DUI Arrests: 324 (up from 170 yesterday morning)
Distracted Driving Citations: 470
Seat Belt Citations: 638 pic.twitter.com/oMHgjSYllv

— Georgia Department of Public Safety (@ga_dps) July 5, 2026

Update

By 6 a.m. Saturday, July 4th, 36 hours into the holiday travel period, there was one fatality reported on Georgia roads. Officials continue to urge safety on the roads as the country celebrates 250 years of America this July 4th.

Update

By 6 a.m. Friday morning, 12 hours into the holiday travel period, there were no fatalities reported on Georgia roads. Officials continue to urge safety on the roads as the country celebrates 250 years of America this July 4th.

THE HOLIDAY COUNT AS OF 0600 HOURS STANDS AS FOLLOWS:

LAST 12 HOURS: 0
RUNNING TOTAL: 0

— Georgia Department of Public Safety (@ga_dps) July 3, 2026

Initial Story

The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) are reminding motorists to make safety a priority during the 78-hour Independence Day holiday travel period, which begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 5.

State troopers and CVE officers will increase patrols statewide, focusing on impaired driving, speeding, seat belt use, and other traffic violations to help keep Georgia’s roads safe during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

During last year’s Independence Day holiday enforcement period, troopers and CVE officers made nearly 500 DUI arrests and investigated almost 320 crashes, resulting in nearly 200 injuries and 10 fatalities. Local law enforcement agencies investigated an additional five traffic-related deaths statewide.

“Our GSP Troopers and CVE Officers will be working around the clock to enforce traffic laws, ensuring everyone reaches their destinations safely,” said Colonel William W. Hitchens III, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

According to AAA, an estimated 61.4 million Americans are expected to travel by car during the July 4 holiday week, making it one of the busiest road travel periods of the year. Motorists are encouraged to drive sober, avoid distractions, obey speed limits, and buckle up to help prevent crashes.

Georgia’s holiday traffic count will be updated throughout the holiday period on the Department of Public Safety’s social media platforms: 

• X: https://x.com/ga_dps
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gadepartmentofpublicsafety 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ga_dps/