Georgia is on pace to have significantly more road fatalities than in 2014, says the Georgia Department of Transportation.
That is why the GDOT has implemented a comprehensive campaign and public service announcement, called Drive Alert, Arrive Alive, in an effort to amend people’s behaviors and habits while on the road.
According to GDOT, as of June 30, 2015, there were a total of 662 fatalities in Georgia, 114 more than the first half of last year. Translation: the state is on track to have 1,200 or more fatalities in 2015. The state government agency adds that, of all the fatalities, 74 percent have resulted from bad driver behavior.
Another contributor to road fatalities, says GDOT, is the fact that only 39 percent of the victims were wearing a seat belt.
Drive Alert, Arrive Alive, is a statewide safety campaign to educate drivers about simple changes they can make in their driving behavior to prevent crashes, improve safety and decrease fatalities for themselves as well as their passengers, other motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
Many of this year’s fatalities were due to single vehicle collisions and not wearing seat belts, both of which are preventable.
Since GDOT’s number one priority is safety, the department is calling for drivers to do three things:
- Buckle up
- Stay off the phone and other mobile devices
- Drive alert