Kennesaw State To Help Young Drivers Be Safer

KENNESAW, GA — Kennesaw State has received a grant from the state to help prevent driving-related injuries and deaths among young people.

The Governor's Office of Highway Safety awarded the $19,074 grant to the university's office of Health Promotion and Wellness to participate in the state's Georgia Young Adult Program. The program addresses young adult driver crashes, injuries and fatalities and partners with colleges and universities throughout the state.

State officials say the program has been successful using strategies such as peer education, providing educational speakers to schools and encouraging schools to develop creative, innovative techniques to reduce crashes among young drivers. The grant is the 11th award for Health Promotion and Wellness, which resides in KSU's Division of Student Affairs.

"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 Kennesaw State University can help us achieve the goal of lowering crash 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."

Kennesaw State will coordinate events such as impaired-driving prevention programs, including social norming promotion and distribution of the iDrinkSmarter app that will provide personalized information on the effects of blood alcohol concentration. T

IPS University Training also will be provided to help students learn specific strategies and skills for intervening in alcohol-related situations that they may encounter. Programming often surrounds events such as National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week and Safe Spring Break. Programs involve collaborations with the campus Greek community, student athletes, residential student communities, campus police and counseling services.

The grant runs Oct. 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018.

Photo courtesy Kennesaw State University