FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, November 17, 2006

Chambliss, Isakson and Perdue Urge Georgians to “Drive Safer Sunday”

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., on Thursday secured a Senate resolution to designate Sunday, November 26, 2006, as “Drive Safer Sunday.” The Senators introduced a similar resolution last year in honor of Cullum Owings, a Georgia college student who died in a traffic accident on his way back to school after Thanksgiving 2002. Governor Sonny Purdue also issued a statewide proclamation designating the same day as “Drive Safer Sunday” in Georgia. 

Statistics show that the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest highway traffic day of the year. The high volume of vehicles on America’s highways and interstates increases the risk for dangerous or fatal accidents. The “Drive Safer Sunday” resolution encourages motorists, trucking firms and law enforcement agencies to work together to make the roads safer for all travelers during the holidays and throughout the year. 

“As a father and a grandfather, I share the concern families have when their loved ones are traveling on the road,” said Chambliss.  “My heart goes out to any family, like the Owings family, who has suffered a tragic and untimely loss a result of a traffic accident. So many accidents can be easily prevented simply by driving slower, paying closer attention to the road, and most importantly, wearing a seat belt.  My hope is that this resolution will resonate in the minds of all holiday travelers and result in a significant decrease in vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities this Sunday after Thanksgiving.” 

“We must do a better job of educating all drivers to be safer on the road, and I am proud to join with Senator Chambliss to designate one of the biggest travel days of the year as ‘Drive Safer Sunday,’” Isakson said.

According to Governor Perdue’s Office of Highway Safety, Georgia roads had 348,040 crashes with 1,744 fatalities during all of 2005.  Two of the major contributing factors to the loss of life in these crashes were speeding and unrestrained passengers.

“It is imperative that drivers maintain a safe speed and drive defensively to avoid preventable accidents during this busy holiday travel season,” said Governor Sonny Perdue.  “It is my sincere hope that Georgians will enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday by spending time with family and loved ones, without the devastation of injuries or fatalities due to careless drivers.”

Cullum Owings’ parents, Steve and Susan Owings of Atlanta, founded an organization called Road Safe America in honor of their son to bring awareness of the hazards of highway travel and provide statistics and safety tips to drivers. Its goals include better driver training for all drivers and limiting the top speed for large trucks.
 
“We appreciate Senators Chambliss and Isakson and Governor Purdue helping us to encourage all drivers to be particularly cognizant of driving safely on this extremely congested travel day,” said Steve Owings. “We hope that by doing this, fatalities and injuries are avoided and that safe driving habits become more routine for the driving public throughout the year.”           
                                              
For more information on driver safety tips and what you can do to improve the safety of America’s roadways please visit: www.roadsafeamerica.org <http://www.roadsafeamerica.org/> .