Full Notification

MARIETTA POLICE DEPARTMENT


240 LEMON STREET, MARIETTA, GEORGIA 30060-1688


Policing with a Vision

Chief Dan Flynn

PHONE (770) 794-5300

Public Information Officer – Officer Brittany Wallace
770-794-5370 (office)

****************** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*******************

Date: 09/28/2015

Distracted Driving Vs. Drunk Driving

In 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 424,000 injuries reported from distracted driving and 290,000 injuries reported from drunk driving. These numbers are staggering and concerning to our police department. We, the Marietta Police Department, want to put this information out to educate our local community about the extreme dangers of texting and driving.

Since 2011 there has been a 25% decrease in drunk driving, however, there has been a 22% increase in distracted driving. With the distracted driving numbers increasing, so are the number of accidents. Texting and driving makes a driver 23 times more likely to cause an accident which is 6 times more likely to cause an accident then that of a drunk driver. The Marietta Police Department wants to encourage the community to put down the cell phones and focus on the road.

Remember that texting and driving is against the law in the state of Georgia. Reading, typing, checking Facebook or Twitter, emailing, etc. is illegal and it does not matter if you are stopped at a red light. Please educate your friends and family and always have your full attention on the road. Texting and social media can wait!


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