General Safety Tips for Drivers

Driving Safety
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young drivers (ages 15-20) in America. Teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. Teenagers can reduce their risk of being involved in a traffic crash by eliminating the following behaviors:

• Inexperience and immaturity;
• Speeding;
• Drinking and driving;
• Not wearing seat belts;
• Distracted driving (cell phone use, loud music, other teen passengers, etc);
• Drowsy driving;
• Nighttime driving;
• Drug use
 

Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site at www.nhtsa.gov to learn more.

Georgia DOT Work Zone Safety Program
Since 1973, 56 Georgia DOT employees have been killed in construction zones. You can help prevent injury or death to you or someone else by following a few simple rules:

• Slow Down: Speeding is the most common factor in a work zone safety accident.
• Pace Yourself: Don’t tailgate other motorists or construction vehicles.
• Read all signs: Signs are in place to assist in safely directing motorists through the work zone.
• Obey road crew flaggers: These workers are equivalent to traffic signals.
• Stay Alert: Minimize distractions and give your full attention to the road.
• Expect the Unexpected: Lane shifts, reduced speeds and work crews are all possibilities within a work zone.
• Keep up with the flow of traffic.

For more information, please visit the Georgia DOT Work Zone Safety web site at www.dot.ga.gov/workzonesafety

“Click It Or Ticket” – Buckle up every trip, every time.

Seat belts are the most effective safety feature available in vehicles today; but nearly one in five Americans still fail to regularly wear their seat belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.
“Click It Or Ticket” is a nationwide enforcement campaign to increase seat belt use and reduce highway fatalities. In Georgia, the campaign is headed by the NHTSA in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), local police, and traffic safety advocates. Georgia drivers have the highest safety belt usage rate in the southeast – 90% for the last two years.

For more information, please visit Governor’s Office of Highway Safety at http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/trafficenforce.html.

Operation Zero Tolerance – “Over the Limit, Under Arrest”

One-third of the 1,700-plus fatal crashes in Georgia every year involve an impaired driver. Operation Zero Tolerance is a DUI enforcement campaign by law enforcement agencies across the country. If you’re caught with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) at or over the legal limit of 0.08, you won’t receive just a warning or citation. In Georgia, first-time violators go to jail.

For more information, please visit the Operation Zero Tolerance web site at www.gahighwaysafety.org/2008SUMMEROZT/.