Here in Georgia, buckling-up can make a life or death difference on rural roads because GOHS crash stats show more fatalities happen there than on city highways.  Can you believe it?  Although only 25-percent of our population lives in rural areas, the number of deadly crashes out on our country roads accounts for more than half of all Georgia traffic deaths!

 

The surprising difference is just too large to ignore. In 2008, 325 people died in crashes in the five major metro Atlanta counties — Compare that with 700 fatal crashes in Georgia’s most rural counties.

 

 And travelers beware!  This deadly problem doesn’t stop at Georgia state lines!  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers on rural roadways everywhere face a much greater risk of being killed or critically injured in traffic crashes than those in suburban areas or city centers. 

 

Now, you’d better believe this next part, because in this case, what you don’t know CAN kill you!  In more than half the fatal crashes, something as simple as putting on a seatbelt made the life or death difference for the victims.  But in 2008, only 79-percent of rural drivers and their passengers were nationally observed wearing their seat belts compared to 84-percent of urban motorists. That’s why we’re buckling down all motorists that aren’t buckling up, especially those in rural areas.

 We want to remind our rural drivers that Georgia is “Buckle-Up Country”.  Let’s face it, this isn’t rocket science.  Safety belts really do save lives.  It’s that simple.  (Just ask NASCAR drivers).  But we have to keep saying it, because too many drivers still aren’t doing it.