Wednesday, August 7, 2024–9:45 a.m.
-News Release-
The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) today announced the launch of Reach Home Safely, a safe driving app to improve road safety and prevent crashes. To incentivize safe driving, drivers have the opportunity to participate in a contest to compete for the title of the safest driver, ensuring they “Drive Alert Arrive Alive.” Georgia DOT has partnered with the Atlanta Braves for promotion and prizing to support this important initiative.
Distracted driving is one of the most urgent road safety crises facing Georgia and the United States today. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that distracted driving killed 12,405 people nationwide in 2021, nearly the same amount as impaired driving. CMT’s data shows that 34% of crashes happen within 1 minute of distracted driving. In 2023, on average, drivers in Georgia handled their phones while driving for 1 minute and 50 seconds, ranking 43rd in the country, 12.6% higher than the US average. Georgia’s Hands-Free Law, also known as House Bill 673, was signed into law in 2018 to reduce the dangers of distracted driving; the law prohibits drivers from using any part of the body to support or hold a standalone or wireless electronic or telecommunications device while driving.
Safest Driver programs, like Reach Home Safely, are proven to make roads safer. In other Safest Driver contests, CMT has seen a 48% reduction in distracted driving, a 38% decrease in excessive speeding, and a 57% drop in hard braking. CMT estimates that Georgia could prevent 4,100 crashes, 19 fatalities, and $160 million in economic damages annually by reducing distracted driving by 10%.
“Ensuring that every Georgian reaches their destination safely is our top priority,” said Russell R. McMurry, P.E. Georgia DOT Commissioner. “By partnering with CMT on the Reach Home Safely app and through the support of the Atlanta Braves, we’re leveraging innovative technology and the power of community to tackle risky driving head-on. The Reach Home Safely program is more than just a contest — it’s a movement towards safer roads across Georgia.”
“By combining Georgia DOT’s vision for safer roads and CMT’s expertise in telematics, the Reach Home Safely app can save lives in an effort to make Georgia’s roads safer,” said Ryan McMahon, SVP of Strategy for CMT. “The Reach Home Safely app is another example of CMT’s commitment to using technology for the public good.”
Reach Home Safely is available for all residents of Georgia. To compete in the contest, participants just need to download the free Reach Home Safely mobile app, available on the App Store and Google Play Store. After activating the technology, participants only need to drive safely — the app automatically detects when they’re driving. The app includes a driving score, feedback on driving behaviors, and contest rankings. All driving data for the contest is anonymized and processed only by CMT. The contests include weekly, monthly, and grand prize winners throughout the remainder of the Braves’ regular season, and include prizes like merchandise, access, experiences and more.
