The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) has launched Reach Home Safely, a safe driving app to improve road safety and prevent crashes.
To incentivize safe driving, drivers have the opportunity to participate in a contest to compete for 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.
Distracted driving is one of the most urgent road safety crises facing Georgia and the United States today, according to the press release announcing the app. 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 1 minute of distracted driving. In 2023, on average, drivers in Georgia handled their phones while driving for 1 minute and 50 seconds, ranking 43rd in the country, 12.6% higher than the US average.
Safest Driver programs, like Reach Home Safely, are proven to make roads safer, according to the release. 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%.
Reach Home Safely is available for all residents of Georgia.
Source: The Georgia Department of Transportation, Local 3 News
