Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Awards $19,768.72 Grant to Shepherd Center
Shepherd Center to continue its Rural Roads Seatbelt Safety Project
Shepherd Center is pleased to announce it has received a $19,768.72. grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). For the fourth consecutive year, Shepherd Center will continue utilizing the Safe System Approach, with its Rural Roads Seatbelt Safety Project. The grant year began on Oct.1, 2026, and will end on Sept. 30, 2027.
The grant will help finance increasing seat belt compliance using a social norming campaign targeting rural Georgians.
“Although seat belts are the best way to protect yourself in the event of a crash and have been well-documented to save lives and reduce injuries, seatbelt compliance continues to be a challenge,” said Emma Harrington, director of injury prevention at Shepherd Center.
In the project’s third year, Harrington continued working on a renewed media push as well as several community events geared toward seat belt safety and ended the year with a compliance rate of 93.8% up from a starting point of 79.9% in 2024.
“The Governor's Office of Highway Safety continues to work with state and local agencies to develop innovative projects and campaigns that are designed to save lives and protect everyone traveling on Georgia's roads and highways,” said Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. "We remind all drivers that following the rules of the road not only helps saves your life but also helps to make sure others make it home safely to their families as well."
Shepherd Center and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety ask that drivers do their part to make the roads safer.
The Governor's Office of Highway Safety's mission is to educate the public on safe driving behaviors and implement highway safety campaigns and programs designed to reduce crashes and eliminate fatalities and injuries on Georgia roads. For more information on this grant program, contact GOHS at 404-656-6996, and for more information on GOHS and its other highway safety programs, visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.
With five decades of experience, Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation, Shepherd Center is also recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.