By Janet Rodekohr
University of
Georgia
The University of Georgia’s Traffic Injury Prevention Institute
was awarded a $1 million grant from the Governor’s Office of
Highway Safety to continue its education and training program in
the use of safety belts and child safety seats. UGA also
announced the appointment of Steven V. Davis as director of the
institute, effective Nov. 15.
Davis will oversee and coordinate all of the institute’s
initiatives, said Don Bower, a UGA Extension Service human
development specialist. Bower serves as project director and
liaison between the institute and the UGA College of Family and
Consumer Sciences.
Davis will coordinate trainings onsite and around the state, a
comprehensive resource center, two demonstration projects in
rural counties and a special initiative to help parents better
prepare their teens to be safer drivers.
Strong new director
“Mr. Davis brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in law
enforcement, project management and safety education and a
network of colleagues statewide,” Bower said.
Davis was chief of police in Blairsville since 1999. He was also
in the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety as project director of
a federal highway safety grant from 1998 to 2001 and was a law
enforcement specialist with the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration from 1996 to 1998.
The institute was established to help reduce traffic-related
injuries and fatalities statewide. The $1 million grant is the
largest in the 18-year history of the partnership between UGA and
the GOHS. It was awarded Oct. 1.
Leading killer of children
Car crashes are the leading killer of children and young adults.
Vehicle crashes cost society more than $150 billion annually,
according to the GOHS.
“This program is the primary resource in the state for public
information and professional training on the use of safety belts
and child safety seats,” Bower said.
The program reaches virtually every Georgian with media
information encouraging the correct and consistent use of these
safety devices.
In 2001, educators in the program conducted 280 safety seat
checks and provided more than 18,000 hours of training, helping
increase Georgians’ safety-seat use by 85 percent.
