Traffic Safety Education

Distracted Driving

Activities that take a person’s attention away from driving. Using electronic devices while driving is a dangerous epidemic and presents serious safety problems on America’s roadways. Most drivers know that texting while driving is a dangerous behavior, but many still use their cell phones and other mobile devices when they are behind the wheel, putting themselves and others at risk. Many drivers see distracted driving as risky when other drivers are guilty but do not recognize how their own driving deteriorates when distracted. Education: A program designed to educate and increase the public’s awareness of the risks associated with distracted driving.

Impaired Driving

Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 51 minutes.  The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $59 billion. Thankfully, there are effective measures that can help prevent injuries and deaths from alcohol-impaired driving. This program targets three age groups -- 14-17, 18-20, and 21-34 -- to make informative better decisions to choose to never drink and drive and refuse to ride in a car with a driver who has been drinking.

Minority Safety Programs

Programs focused on minorities, particularly the populations of non-English as a primary language. These programs focus on the awareness of the laws especially related to safety belt use, child restraint use and impaired driving.

Program follows the same guidelines of training for efforts but works on building trust between different ethnics and law enforcement.

Motorcycle Safety

A program designed to provide education and awareness to communities or organizations to promote safe motorcycle operations to include motorcycle helmet use. Motorcycle safety death rates are growing more rapidly than any other cause of death in Georgia. A preventive program that seeks to counter this problem is needed.

New Drivers, Speeding/Aggressive Driving

Programs designed to increase awareness of the Teenage and Adult Drivers’ Responsibility Act laws, and safe and defensive driving techniques. A program designed to reduce highway safety crashes, injuries and fatalities.

Traffic Safety for Teens:

• Crash Dynamics and Seat Belts
• Speeding
• Alcohol and You
• Distractions
• Road Rules and Road Signs.

Occupant Protection

The BPD has several officers certified by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute as Certified Car Seat technicians who act as the facilitators at events. Program designed to increase safety belt usage among drivers and passengers. Education and training programs that increase safety belt usage and lead to increased use of properly installed child safety restraint systems. The program educates children and their families on Georgia’s current child passenger safety law, as well as best practice recommendations.

Seat Check Events:

• The Right Seat, The Right Size, The Right Use
• Expired or recalled Child Seats
• Along with access to replacement seats at events.

Older Drivers and Passengers

The aging Georgia population is more susceptible to fatal injury than younger motor vehicle occupants. In 2010, the older population made up 31percent of all people involved in traffic crashes and 16percent of all people fatally injured. Programs targeting this age group need to be developed and implemented to reverse these alarming trends. The program should be a skill-based program for older drivers to enhance driving skill or educational programs that focus on relevant physical cognitive changes of aging.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Programs

Education programs designed to decrease injury and death of pedestrians to include but not limited to the following:

• Development and implementation of a pedestrian safety school curriculum for children in grades kindergarten - elementary.
• Public information and education programs in high-risk areas.
• Implementation of a bicycle safety program focusing on bicyclists and the motoring public.
• The education of Georgia’s bicycle laws including visibility laws, helmet laws, and the “Three-Foot Law”.

Parents Reducing Injuries and Driver Error (PRIDE)

Parent/Guardian and teen, Target 14-20 years of age Grades 8th to College by certified instructors.

PRIDE Mission: To provide a comprehensive statewide traffic safety education program for young drivers and their parents in an effort to reduce the risk of teen?related crashes and minimize traffic?related trauma.

• Identify unsafe driving behaviors and attitudes.
• Examine parental and teen influence on occupant safety.
• Learn how to be a safe and responsible parent coach.
• Learn how to be a safe and responsible teen driver and passenger.

Red Ribbon Week

Speak at community programs, schools and events on alcohol and other drugs. Supported by Byron PD certified narcotic detection K9s.