Governor’s Office of Highway Safety: Travel safely this holiday season

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – “Statistically if you look at what causes accidents, it is predominantly driver behavior,” said Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner Col. Mark McDonough.

You’ll probably be on the road heading somewhere this holiday season.

“We want you to get there and get there safely,” said Director of the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Harris Blackwood.

And the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety wants to help you get there–so follow some good advice.

“Drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving,” said Blackwood.

Even if you didn’t decide to have some drinks, just being tired can affect your driving.

“If you are nodding and bobbing, you are not paying attention to the road and you are endangering the lives of yourself, the people in your car and the lives of others on the road,” said Blackwood.

He hopes you’ll do one of the simplest things you can to stay safe–put your seat belt on.

“More than half the fatalities this year involve people who were not wearing their seat belt,” said Blackwood. “It is the proactive thing to do by buckling yourself up and make sure the other people in the car are too.”

Once you strap your seat belt on, keep it to the speed limit–that’s something Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner Col. Mark McDonough doesn’t take lightly.

“If you are speeding, you are more apt to be an accident in because your reaction is less,” said McDonough. “So, what makes sense?  Slower is safer.”

And being safer means not texting while you’re driving.

“If you find yourself on this thing, you are looking at this and you are not looking at the environment outside the vehicle and that distraction is causing a lot of accidents.

Something you may not have thought of yet–don’t text someone if you know they’re on the road.

“Why tempt them to reach to this thing,” said McDonough. “On both sides of it, to the person driving and to those that know folks are driving, just put it away. It can wait.”

But what can’t wait is your safety–that’s top priority this holiday season.

AAA is offering a great way to get a ride home if you really need it.

Call them at (855) 2-TOW-2-GO and they’ll come pick you up for free.