The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) received nearly $2.5 million from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to prevent traffic fatalities in the state.

The DPH received $2,495,831 to fund five programs. The programs hand out child seats to people in need, process emergency room visit data, analyze crash statistics and help senior drivers “help maintain their mobility, their mental and physical acuity, and their lifestyle as they age.”

Georgia DPH Commissioner Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., said, “These grant dollars provide safety equipment, education, and contribute to a safer roadway system for Georgians and everyone who travels through the state.”

The DPH said traffic deaths increased eight percent in 2021 to the highest levels in the past decade; data showed that nearly half of those deaths were people who weren’t wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.