$4 million at stake over Georgia's seat belt law

Excerpt from the Augusta Chronicle - READ THE FULL STORY HERE

"The economy might give Georgia legislators the extra push they need to require adults in pickups to wear seat belts -- changing the law would instantly give the state about $4 million in federal highway funds."

"I don't necessarily think we ought to do it for the federal money," Governor Perdue said. "But the kids I'm concerned about are those that are in modern-day pickups, when they get a crowd of friends in there, and they're fooling around."

Ban on cell phones while driving- NSC

http://www.wsbtv.com/technology/18459080/detail.html

Proposed bill targets teen drivers on cell phones

When the General Assembly convenes later this month, Rep. Matt Ramsey plans on introducing legislation that would make it illegal for drivers under 18 to talk, text, e-mail or instant message on their phones while operating a vehicle.

Read the full AJC article here.

Study: 1 in 25 Teens Drive Without a License

A study released in the November issue of Pediatrics and conducted by Center researchers focuses on an often-overlooked group of teen drivers: those without a license. The 2006 National Young Driver Survey (NYDS) of more than 5,500 teens across the country revealed that about 6 percent of students in grades 9 through 11 reported driving unsupervised without a license. However, according to the national fatality data, a full 20 percent of 14- to 18-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2006 did not have a license. This means unlicensed teens are significantly over-represented in fatal crashes.

Read more about the study at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and see the news article at U.S. News


Find out who the teens are in Pediatrics.

December 10 Meeting - GOHS

The agenda for the December 10, 2008 YADTT meeting includes Randy Clayton, Operations Manager for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Mr. Clayton will give us an update on the most recent developments with the SHSP. YADTT will also review the the Driver Education Commission's subcommittee recommendations for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. YADTT will again review 2007 data on teen fatalities and injuries. Finally, we will review projects submitted by YADTT to GDOT for consideration.

MEETING TIME, PARKING & LOCATION:

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Pay Parking is available at the following:
- Hurt Plaza Parking Garage located on Edgewood Avenue
- Georgia State University parking garage
- The Loudermilk Center

Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS)
One Park Tower
34 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-656-6996


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The Five Most Dangerous Holidays for Drivers

These five are the most dangerous holidays to be on the road, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's report on motor vehicle deaths over three- or four-day holiday periods from 2001 to 2006, as well as the percentage of fatal crashes caused by intoxication and the AAA-estimated number of cars on the road for each holiday period.

READ THE TOP FIVE LIST, AND MORE AT YAHOO NEWS HERE.

NC Girl's Death Not Just a Statistic

Shannon Nicole Adkins had devoted herself to doing something about the wave of teen crash fatalities in her North Carolina county.


She studied teen highway deaths as her senior project at Clayton High School before graduating last spring. She changed her major at Wayne Community College from dental hygiene to criminal justice, says her aunt, Karmela Adkins.

Then on Saturday night she was killed in a head-on collision just a few blocks from her home, the victim of an alleged drunken driver.
 
Shannon Nicole Adkins' death is more than one family's tragedy. She's the 27th teen to die in a crash in Johnston County since the start of 2006, more than in any of the state's other 99 counties.
 

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT USAToday.com