Georgia is Buckle-Up Country

Georgia is Buckle-Up Country
By: LEIGH WEBB
Published: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 4:23 PM EST
As in Luke Bryan’s song, "We Rode in Trucks" let’s help Georgian’s sing, “Where I grew up, we rode in trucks…” but were buckled up! Georgia is Buckle-Up Country.Everyone knows Georgia is famous for peaches, the home of Coca-Cola, and good old southern hospitality. However, did you also know our great state is also known for the high fatality rates on country roads? Georgia has many beautiful rural roadways, but unfortunately, these rural roads have more than double the fatality rate of Georgia’s urban areas (Georgia DOT crash data, 2004). This statistic would not seem as striking if it were not for the fact that only 18% of the total population of Georgia lives in rural areas, yet they account for over half of all traffic fatalities.Country singer/songwriter Luke Bryan has a hit song called: “We rode in trucks” which mentions the joy of growing up as a young boy in the country and riding country roads. Ironically, the population that has the highest fatality rates in these crashes on rural roadways is young males driving pickup trucks. Nearly 75% of these pickup truck occupants killed in Georgia did not have on a seatbelt as compared to 46% in passenger cars. A 2005 study showed that safety belt usage rates for pickup trucks were only at 76% vs. passenger vehicles at 91%. Safety belt use in pickup trucks is the lowest in rural areas.These are some pretty sobering statistics that strongly indicate the importance of buckling up. However, the drivers that are least likely to buckle up, young males, are also the part of the population that is perishing in traffic crashes at an alarming rate. Georgia has a campaign targeting this area of the vulnerable population that is called “Georgia is Buckle-Up Country” (Governor’s Office of Highway Safety). So let’s get the word out that “Where I grew up, we rode in trucks…” but were buckled up! “Seat belts save lives” it’s a fact.
Georgia Law states: “All occupants of any passenger vehicle including pickup trucks must utilize a seat safety belt if they are under the age of 18. When used correctly, safety belts are effective at helping reduce the risk of death or serious injury. Georgia has a ‘primary’ safety belt law, meaning that officers may stop and cite violators without observing another violation” (2009 Driver’s Manuel).Did you know these are the most at risk?• Young drivers from (16-24 yrs old)• Males (who have almost 3 times higher fatality rate compared to females)• Pickup trucks on rural roads are the most at risk


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