As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, the Henry County Police Department is one of more than 500 departments in the state participating in Operation Zero Tolerance to crack down on drunk driving.

The campaign, which began Friday, is part of the Georgia Office of Highway Safety’s 100 Days of Summer H.E.A.T.( Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic) initiative.

Through July 8, police departments, sheriff’s offices and Georgia State Patrol posts will run intensive patrols and set up sobriety checkpoints, also monitoring the use of seat belts and child restraints.

Currently in its fourth straight year, H.E.A.T. represents GOHS’s efforts to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the roads by issuing citations for speeding and aggressive driving, writing tickets for failure to wear safety belts and imposing jail time on those who drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

According to GOHS Director Robert Dallas, Operation Zero Tolerance is about more than making arrests.

“We’re even telling motorists when to watch out for the blue lights. Because it’s not about writing more tickets, it’s about saving more lives,” he said in a statement. “The message is simple. You drive impaired in Georgia, you will go to jail.”

Among the tools used to enforce road checks are Breath Alcohol Testing Trailers, fully-equipped field units where officers can write arrest reports. The Henry department is one of several in the state with its own BAT-trailer.

Dallas called the trailer “a one-stop cop shop.”

“It’s a combination mobile command post and traffic enforcement toolbox on wheels,” he said.

According to GOHS spokesman Jim Shuler, these trailers are an efficient and effective way to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road.

Each GOHS field trailer has a certified and calibrated Intoxilyzer Unit for checking breath alcohol levels, he said.