The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) recently launched Reach Home Safely, an app aimed at preventing crashes.
Distracted driving is one of the most urgent road safety crises facing Georgia and the United States today. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that distracted driving killed 12,405 people nationwide in 2021, nearly the same amount as impaired driving.
CMT’s data shows that 34% of crashes happen within one minute of distracted driving. In 2023, on average, drivers in Georgia handled their phones while driving for one minute and 50 seconds, ranking 43rd in the country, 12.6% higher than the U.S. average, according to CMT.
Georgia’s Hands-Free Law, also known as House Bill 673, was signed into law in 2018 to reduce the dangers of distracted driving; the law prohibits drivers from using any part of the body to support or hold a standalone or wireless electronic device while driving.
Safest Driver programs, like Reach Home Safely, are proven to make roads safer. In other Safest Driver contests, CMT has seen a 48% reduction in distracted driving, a 38% decrease in excessive speeding, and a 57% drop in hard braking. CMT estimates that Georgia could prevent 4,100 crashes, 19 fatalities, and $160 million in economic damages annually by reducing distracted driving by 10%.
To incentivize safe driving, drivers can participate in a contest to win the title of safest driver, ensuring they “Drive Alert Arrive Alive.” Georgia DOT has partnered with the Atlanta Braves for promotion and prizing to support this important initiative.
“Ensuring that every Georgian reaches their destination safely is our top priority,” said Russell R. McMurry, P.E. GDOT Commissioner, in a statement. “By partnering with CMT on the Reach Home Safely app, we’re leveraging innovative technology and the power of community to tackle risky driving head-on.”
Source: Georgia Department of Transportation, WSBTV
