Macon Judicial Circuit launches Project P.A.U.S.E. with state safety grant

The grant will fund Project P.A.U.S.E., a pedestrian safety education and outreach initiative.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has awarded a $211,425.74 pedestrian safety grant to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office to launch a new education and outreach initiative aimed at reducing traffic-related injuries and deaths.

According to the DA’s office, the grant will fund Project P.A.U.S.E., short for Pedestrian Awareness and Understanding Safety Education. The program is designed to promote pedestrian safety through age-appropriate education, community outreach and engagement in high-traffic areas.

District Attorney Anita R. Howard said the initiative focuses on preventing pedestrian deaths by teaching safer walking habits to children and families.

“Every member of our community deserves to feel safe simply walking from one place to another,” Howard said. “These are preventable deaths. With Project P.A.U.S.E., we can teach our children and families how to navigate their surroundings responsibly and with confidence, because no one should die while walking.”

Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said the project aligns with the state’s long-term goal of reducing traffic fatalities.

“Innovative projects like this are designed with the intent for Georgia and our nation to reach the realistic goal of zero traffic deaths by the middle of this century,” Poole said. “Each life saved on our roads is one less family that will have to live with the pain of losing a loved one whose life was taken from them in a traffic crash that was completely preventable.”

The grant period runs from December 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. During that time, the district attorney’s office will implement Project P.A.U.S.E. in compliance with Governor’s Office of Highway Safety guidelines, including state and federal reporting and accountability requirements.

Project P.A.U.S.E. builds on the district attorney’s existing R.I.S.E. initiative, which focuses on youth engagement and education and has served hundreds of families since 2022.

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety works to educate the public on safe driving behaviors and supports programs designed to reduce traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities across Georgia.

More information about the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is available at gahighwaysafety.org.