Contact:
Katie Fallon
Public Information Officer
404.463.0611 (o) | 404.309.7591 (c)
kfallon@gohs.ga.gov
 

Distracted Driving Awareness Month proclaimed in Georgia
U drive. U text. U pay.
 

(ATLANTA) – To help reduce the thousands of distracted driving crashes that occur every year in Georgia, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is joining a nationwide effort proclaiming April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
 
In partnership with the Georgia Trial Lawyer Association, GOHS is kicking off April by reminding educators and community groups about the availability of the End Distracted Driving program. EndDD, which is administered in Georgia through GTLA, is an interactive presentation given to schools, civic groups and community partners throughout the state. It is available year-round, but GTLA is encouraging as many groups as possible to sign up for the free presentation in April to highlight the need for change during Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
 
Eliminating texting and driving, as well as other distracted driving behaviors, is necessary both in Georgia and nationwide. In 2014, there were an estimated 8,581 distracted driving crashes in Georgia that resulted in 3,298 injuries and 19 deaths. Nationally, nearly 4,000 people are killed and another 421,000 are injured every year as a result of distracted driving-related traffic crashes.
 
“We’re so grateful that the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association has brought such a valuable educational tool to Georgia,” GOHS Director Harris Blackwood said. “Our partners in law enforcement are always on the lookout for distracted drivers, but we need to focus on changing driver behavior.”
 
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports driver distraction is the primary cause of 18 percent of all fatal crashes. Similarly, use of text messaging while driving creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control found 69 percent of drivers ages 18 to 64 reported they talked on their cell phone while driving and 31 percent reported they read or sent texts or emails while driving.
 
“As the use of technology from behind the wheel has increased over the past decade, so too has the number of collisions, injuries and deaths on our roadways,” GTLA President Linley Jones said. “As trial lawyers, we often see the devastation caused as a result of these tragic, but preventable, crashes and it is our goal through this partnership with EndDD to put an end to this senseless epidemic.”
 
To learn more about EndDD and how to bring it to your community, visit www.enddd.org/host-a-presentation/.

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