Spring Break
Visiting safety van hopes to halt crashes
ELYSE BEASLEY
Issue date: 4/3/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A new caravan is rolling into town, and its focus is safety.
The Traffic Safety Caravan, a program sponsored by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, is a "travelling road show" that emphasizes the importance of safety on the roads in local communities and that will conduct educational programs in conjunction with University Police, Athens-Clarke County Police, Safe Campuses Now and other groups in Athens throughout the week.
Athens was chosen as this year's Traffic Safety Caravan location because Athens has the second highest rate of alcohol and pedestrian-related crashes.
"We chose smaller communities (for the program) that may not have the resources that Atlanta does, and then we take our information and go there," said Amy Edwards, co-coordinator of the Caravan.
The Caravan will host events including presentations on seat belts, proper use of car seats and automobile and pedestrian safety within the community. Two events will be held on campus for University students.
"I think safety is something that students cannot hear about enough," Keith Sims, director of Safe Campuses Now, said.
"With the weather getting warmer, people are walking home more from downtown and going on road trips. We are fortunate to be a part of this program and to teach students to be proactive about their safety," she said.
Tonight, the first event on campus will be held in the Brumby Hall rotunda at 7 p.m. Chris Sandy, a 29-year-old inmate convicted of DUI and vehicular homicide, will be speaking about the dangers of drunk driving.
"Traffic crashes tend to be the no. 1 killer of people ages 1-34," said Andrew Turnage, co-coordinator of the event and representative from the University of Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute.
"We want to be sure that we are out there working to keep awareness high," he said.
ACC Police also have scheduled a DUI road check for Thursday evening.
The Traffic Safety Caravan, a program sponsored by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, is a "travelling road show" that emphasizes the importance of safety on the roads in local communities and that will conduct educational programs in conjunction with University Police, Athens-Clarke County Police, Safe Campuses Now and other groups in Athens throughout the week.
Athens was chosen as this year's Traffic Safety Caravan location because Athens has the second highest rate of alcohol and pedestrian-related crashes.
"We chose smaller communities (for the program) that may not have the resources that Atlanta does, and then we take our information and go there," said Amy Edwards, co-coordinator of the Caravan.
The Caravan will host events including presentations on seat belts, proper use of car seats and automobile and pedestrian safety within the community. Two events will be held on campus for University students.
"I think safety is something that students cannot hear about enough," Keith Sims, director of Safe Campuses Now, said.
"With the weather getting warmer, people are walking home more from downtown and going on road trips. We are fortunate to be a part of this program and to teach students to be proactive about their safety," she said.
Tonight, the first event on campus will be held in the Brumby Hall rotunda at 7 p.m. Chris Sandy, a 29-year-old inmate convicted of DUI and vehicular homicide, will be speaking about the dangers of drunk driving.
"Traffic crashes tend to be the no. 1 killer of people ages 1-34," said Andrew Turnage, co-coordinator of the event and representative from the University of Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute.
"We want to be sure that we are out there working to keep awareness high," he said.
ACC Police also have scheduled a DUI road check for Thursday evening.
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