Follow the signs: DUIs at Fort Gordon and what the base is doing to keep them in check

Alexandra Koch, Augusta Chronicle
·2 min read
Electronic marquees have been placed near each gate at Fort Gordon, reminding residents and visitors to drive safely.
Electronic marquees have been placed near each gate at Fort Gordon, reminding residents and visitors to drive safely.

Fort Gordon is home to approximately 8,000 people, with the average age of residents at 22 years old, according to U.S. Census data.

With 21- to 24-year-olds falling in the highest percentage of drunk drivers nationwide, the military instillation is taking steps to address military personnel and their families driving under the influence on and off post.

So far in 2023, there were 15 DUIs on the instillation itself and 11 DUIs off post, according to Fort Gordon officials.

A breakdown of DUIs each month

DUIs on-post so far in 2023:

  • January: 2

  • February: 2

  • March: 5

  • April: 3

  • May: 3

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DUIs off-post so far in 2023:

  • January: 0

  • February: 2

  • March: 7

  • April: 2

  • May: 0

The on-post numbers include DUI arrests of service members, spouses, family members, retirees and civilian employee, said Anne Bowman, Fort Gordon deputy public affairs officer.

The opposite is true of the off-post numbers – only military members, off-post DUIs are reported, Bowman said.

Electronic marquees have been placed near each gate at Fort Gordon, displaying the number of speeding incidents and DUI arrests. One of the marquees, photographed on May 9, displays the combined number of DUIs in April and May 2023.
Electronic marquees have been placed near each gate at Fort Gordon, displaying the number of speeding incidents and DUI arrests. One of the marquees, photographed on May 9, displays the combined number of DUIs in April and May 2023.

What the instillation is doing to drive down arrests

Fort Gordon has a number of programs and policies in place to limit the number of DUI incidents and arrests, including placing vigilant access control guards at all three gates, promoting the use of on-post taxi services, and frequent anti-DUI public service announcements on Facebook and other official communication platforms.

However, the post has also recently introduced a more visible reminder to residents that they can't miss driving by every single day.

Electronic marquees have been placed at each gate on the medians facing outbound traffic, displaying the previous month's total number of DUIs, combining the number of off-post military and all on-post DUIs.

Senior leadership at an installation meeting in March requested each month’s DUIs and speeding tickets be posted to keep the community informed and influence behavior, Bowman said.

The marquees were placed at each gate with March data during the first week of April and will be updated at the start of each month with the previous month’s data.

"We hope seeing those numbers helps our community actively think about the risks and consequences of choosing to drive drunk and/or recklessly," Fort Gordon wrote in a statement.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Fort Gordon is using marquees to keep DUIs down on and off base