Highway safety officials plan 'Making a Safer Forsyth' tour this week

ATLANTA - With events planned throughout the week, the Governor's Office of Highway Safety is coordinating a highway safety tour around Forsyth County to improve the increased injury and fatality rates in the area. The agency's "Making a Safer Forsyth" tour will visit schools, senior centers, parks and businesses to promote highway safety initiatives.

Over the past several years, Forsyth County has experienced an upward trend in roadway deaths with the number of fatalities increasing every year since 2009. In 2012, 22 people lost their lives in traffic crashes in the county, a 144 percent increase since 2009.

"We're really very concerned about the numbers of traffic-related fatalities in Forsyth County," GOHS Director Harris Blackwood said.  "We want to offer our resources to the residents there to learn about ways to improve those numbers. Our hope is that at the end of our tour, the folks in Forsyth County will have new tools to combat the issues of seat belt use, impaired driving, distracted driving, and bicycle and pedestrian safety."

On May 7, Forsyth County representatives, state agency heads, local law enforcement and others will hold a press conference at Lanier Technical College on Ronald Reagan Boulevard to kick off the  Making a Safer Forsyth caravan and to spread the word about the importance of highway safety in Forsyth County.

The agency will have teams of certified personnel visiting elementary, middle and high schools in the county to deliver safety messages about child passenger safety and the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. CarFit technicians will also be on hand at senior centers to assist seniors with issues affecting older drivers.

"The events we have planned for this week will ensure a safer future for those driving in Forsyth County," Blackwood said.  "Our team is coming to this community to create a safer place for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists."

A free car seat safety check will be held from 12 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 10 at the Walmart on Marketplace Blvd. Trained child safety seat technicians from Georgia state agencies, fire departments, non-profit organizations and law enforcement agencies have come together to host this event where parents and caregivers can bring their children and child safety seats to be properly installed. Spanish-speaking technicians will also be available.

For more information about the highway safety tour, and for a full schedule of events, please follow the link below.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/5/274527