December 16, 2021
Coastal Georgia Center for Driver Safety grant renewed for FY22
Savannah, GA – The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has renewed Savannah Technical College’s grant ($140,571.50) for a second year (FY22) to operate the Coastal Georgia Center for Driver Safety.
Grant funds will continue to provide two core services: distracted and impaired driver prevention education for youth, young adults and parents in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties. These activities include community- and school-based workshops, virtual reality simulation education, social media messaging, and the promotion of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapters in all of area high schools.
In the grant’s initial year (FY21), a two-hour workshop was created for families of teen drivers to educate them on the dangers of distracted driving. The workshop has been presented to nearly 400 families. Five Virtual Reality simulators were also purchased during the initial year for teenagers to experience a five-minute distracted driving experience (300+ teenagers) and a 25-minute driving experience (1,235 teenagers). The grant also developed a monthly media campaign about the dangers of distracted driving and impaired driving with a focus on young drivers. The grant also included promoting the SADD program to all 20 public high schools in the grant’s four-county service area.
Additional priorities for FY22 include focusing on reaching private school students, attending more community events, and networking with community partners and colleges.
The top five dangers for younger drivers include distractions like cell phones and passengers; driving at night (drowsiness); speeding and street racing; not wearing seat belts; and impairments like underage drinking and drugs. The goal of the Coastal Georgia Center for Driver Safety is to bring awareness to young, young adults, and parents about the dangers of distracted driving.
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#2223 | December 16, 2021
Coastal Georgia Center for Drive Safety: Atina Brantley
912.443.3392 or [email protected]
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or [email protected]
ABOUT SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE
A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is the premier provider of career-ready technical education in Coastal Georgia, offering a comprehensive range of over 190 market-driven programs, preparing students for high-demand careers including Aviation Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Automation & Robotics, Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Public Services and more. With campuses in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties, Savannah Tech serves more than 14,000 credit and non-credit students with a variety of pathways to success, including dual enrollment programs for high school students and specialized support services for military veterans and their families. Beyond academics, Savannah Tech is an economic and community development partner, collaborating with industry leaders to provide customized training programs, assessment services, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit www.savannahtech.edu.
Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Savannah Technical College complies with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The TCSG State Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status (“protected status”). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any TCSG program or activity because of the individual’s protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual’s protected status, except the preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.
MEDIA CONTACT
Cynthia Cradduck
Asst. Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing
[email protected]
(912) 856-9075
