The DeKalb County Board of Health has received a $70,700 Safe Communities grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The funds will allow program staff to install and check child safety seats, hold classes and provide low cost or free seats to eligible families. The program will also promote walking to school.
Safe Communities DeKalb will offer the Parents Reducing Injuries and Driver Error program to teen drivers and their parents. It will also partner with Students Against Destructive Decisions groups to educate teens.
In addition, the staff will engage Buford Highway stakeholders in promoting pedestrian safety and traffic calming.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that motor vehicle crashes are the top cause of death in the U.S. for four-year-olds and 11- through 27-year-olds. In 2011,an average of 89 people died each day in crashes. This is one death every 16 minutes. In DeKalb County, from 2008 through 2012, motor vehicle crashes were responsible for 29,375 emergency room visits, 2,099 hospitalizations and 311 deaths, according to the Status of Health
in DeKalb Report.
Information: 404-508-7847.
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