The Union County Sheriff’s Office is always looking for opportunities to make the community safer, and one of the most effective ways to do that is traffic enforcement.
Speeding and distracted driving have more in common than simply being against the law; both also maim and kill, and Sheriff Shawn Dyer is serious about ensuring that drivers are following the rules of the road.
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That’s why he has applied for a High Visibility Enforcement Grant through the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
2025 was the first year the Sheriff’s Office applied for the grant, resulting in the state awarding UCSO about $60,000 toward initiatives aimed at reducing crashes from speeding and distracted driving while increasing seatbelt compliance.
And UCSO exceeded the requirements of the program in its inaugural year, so Sheriff Dyer is confident the Sheriff’s Office will receive the grant again, with a final decision expected in the next couple of months.
The grant money helps UCSO accomplish safer roads by providing salary assistance to enable focused patrols in speeding hotspots; bringing public education to local youth and others; and encouraging more cautious driving habits with strategic sign placements on roadways.
As the name of the grant suggests, “high visibility” is the point of the campaign, with a multi-pronged approach designed to inform the motoring public – visitors and residents alike – that the Sheriff’s Office takes its public safety responsibilities seriously.
One of the biggest traffic issues facing Union County is out-of-town car and motorcycle clubs taking to the mountains “anytime it’s not raining,” Dyer said.
Such clubs that violate speed laws cause dangerous – and potentially deadly – driving conditions for the rest of the population, Dyer said, noting, “We get speeds over 100 miles an hour on these mountain roads.”
Thanks to the grant, which also saves local taxpayers by offsetting salary and equipment costs, Dyer has seen real progress in deterring the influx of bad actors, particularly along the more scenic routes of the county, like the Richard Russell Scenic Highway and through Suches.
Slowing the influx has decreased the frequency of crashes while improving the quality of life for property owners who live in areas that are popular with fast drivers in loud cars.
Plus, there are real disincentives to speeding, with fines, points on licenses, and possibly even arrest, and Sheriff Dyer said the costs of such activity are enforced in Union County.
“People are welcome to come here and drive normally on our roads, but if you come up here and use them as a racetrack, I’m going to do everything I can do to make it very expensive for you,” Dyer said.
In the years to come, the sheriff is hoping to use the grant to keep the momentum rolling toward helping Union County grow a reputation that keeps dangerous drivers away and bad driving habits at bay – habits like distracted driving and not wearing seatbelts.
Unlike seatbelt violations, which are primarily committed by older residents who came of age either when cars didn’t have seatbelts or before laws mandated their use, Dyer said that, locally at least, distracted driving runs the gamut from new young drivers to senior citizens.
Distracted driving went up with the advent of cellphones, and even more when smartphones came along. Georgia has been a “Hands-Free” state since 2018, but the problem persists among drivers who continue to take their eyes off the roadway.
“People texting and on their phones cause a lot of crashes, whether it be one-car or two-car wrecks,” Dyer said. “All it takes is a second. A lot of people will glance down at their phone or drop something in the floor and pick it up, and they run off the road, overcorrect and wreck.
“And sometimes, you get to looking at your phone longer than you think. That takes all of your concentration off the road, so you’re literally driving blind.”
In recent years, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has estimated that more than half of crashes in the state were caused by suspected distracted driving, which is something Dyer hopes to change here.
“Everywhere you go, distracted driving is an issue, and I think we’re making a difference,” Dyer said.
On top of traffic enforcement, the Sheriff’s Office conducts multiple outreach initiatives each year as part of the grant to garner “voluntary compliance.” UCSO hosts events at Union County Schools, handing out information about texting and driving, seatbelts and teen driving laws.
Relatedly, UCSO teams up with the Fire Department several times a year to conduct child safety-seat checks for parents, keeping the same goal in mind of developing a safer driving culture in Union County.
The Sheriff’s Office has also put out signs in known high-violation locations with messages like “Slow Down. You Live Here, We Live Here,” including the website gahighwaysafety.org for more information. This helps maximize general deterrence beyond those stopped for speeding.
“Wear your seatbelt, stay off your phone while driving, and run the speed limit,” Dyer said. “Just follow the law. That’s all we need to make Union County safer.”
