VSU Community Encouraged to Practice Holiday Safety

VALDOSTA - Valdosta State University will close Monday, Dec. 22 and not reopen until Monday, Jan. 5 after a two-week holiday.

On Thursday, Jan. 8, current students will begin registration and new students will participate in the afternoon's Spring Orientation.

During the break, all faculty, staff and students are encouraged to heed safety advice from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

Georgia highways saw 18 deaths and more than 3,000 car crashes in the 102-hour holiday travel period in 2007, many of which were caused by impaired drivers. During the upcoming holiday, GOHS has initiated the Operation Zero Tolerance, an impaired driving enforcement crackdown that suggests all drivers "Buckle-up, Slow Down and Drive Sober." The program strives for its goal of zero deaths by empowering local law enforcement entities to conduct sobriety checkpoints and concentrated patrols to take impaired drivers off the streets.

As always, buckle safety belts and arrange for designated drivers. Contact the local law enforcement agencies for information about local sobriety checks.