GRU to help reduce motor vehicle fatalities involving young people

As the recipient of an $8,700 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Georgia Regents University will partner with colleges and universities across the state to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities among young adults as part of The Young Adult Program.

The program promotes peer education, provides educational speakers to schools, and encourages school administrators to develop creative and innovative techniques to reduce the number of motor vehicle fatalities involving young people in their communities.

“The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is committed to changing the tragic trend of young adult driver deaths in Georgia,” said GOHS Director Harris Blackwood. “We’re here to make changes, and I believe the students at Georgia Regents University can help us achieve the goal of lowering injury and fatality rates statewide. Who better to address the challenges and dangers facing young adults than their peers? I’m confident these students can convince their peers to be safer, more conscientious drivers.”

GRU coordinates programs such as peer education training and impaired driving prevention programs in an effort to promote and bring awareness to highway safety issues such as alcohol abuse, impaired driving, underage drinking, distracted driving, and other destructive decisions. The long-term goal of the program is to create safer, healthier campus environments.

“We will use this grant to help educate our students on the detriments of drinking and driving,” said GRU Student Wellness Coordinator Leslie Wilcher. “Our programs are often scheduled around events such as graduation, summer orientation, and tailgate parties and involve partnering with the campus Greek community, student athletes, campus police, health and wellness departments, and counseling services.”

For more information, contact Leslie Wilcher at 706-723-4302 or lcwilcher@gru.edu.