If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. g; \\ rJ ll@7?®~ "~~Dll£10 ffi,~W@ill'1f i I! a '\ _pl ••.. ;\, r:y d' , , dJ (J . , ...... ..., ,.' 1\' . I' ri'@~.:,-'.::,,> ~C';J"~'/ l' ' J{~ • /' -.+~. ~ .. t-,· ;1.. / , ~j!)~=~~.. =-~~~-K. , ;.! ~ - • " -:::t'- <) " h'-!) - .~ ..• t cO P ~1:;;, r ";', "'';;;;--' ," ~-....' <'I " , I,' o , ~~~ 55m.. p.h. means 55!, 'I !I COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE ......... Public Information Office Safety Education l I nspectional Services l Community Relations NC,JRS l I Drivers Services Drivers Records Drivers license Issuance APR 27197$ f Revocation & Suspension r Safety Responsibility Implied Consent Unit Verification No-Fault Motor Vehicle Inspection Ul1it Motor Carrier Safety Unit Chaplains GEORGIA STATE PATROL DIVISION ....•.....•.•..• 32 Field Troops (A,B,C,D,E,F,G, & H) Planning and Operations Staff Services Personnel Services Treasyrer's Office Accident Reporting Aviation Section GEORGIA POLICE ACADEMY ...........•..•......• 57 STATISTICAL SUMMARy ........•.....• 'cd' ••••••• 61 " 1 ~ I • Two Board of Public Safety Mem­ bers were sworn ill during 1976. Rehabilitatioll Commissioner David EJlalls, center, being given the oath by Bill Harper representing Gov­ Busbee. Meeting with field officers is part of the regular administration of the Department of Public Safety. Col. Cofer, at head of table, is shown with Lt. Col. Porter WeaJler, dis­ cussing problems of the road tro­ oper's daily routille. DPS Deputy Commissioner Lt. Col. Parter Weaver, right, discusses Ga. 's traffic death rate drop with Carltoll Fisher, Coordinator of the Office of Highway Safety. The meetillg was in p.'·eparation for the joint campaign to encourage greater pub­ lic compliance with the 5.5 mph speed limit law. C) BOARD MEMBERS and OFFICIALS Honorable George Busbee Governor of G'eorgia Dr. Allen Ault Commis$iol1Eilf - Oepmment of Offenc:ler Rehabilitation \ Arthllr 1<. Bolton Attorney General- Department of, Law Lane Johnston District Attorney's Association ;statesboro, Geo'rgia Franklin Thornton Sheriff - Walton County E. H. "Red" Burruss Chief -Cobb County Police De{Jartrnent Member at large - Cairo, Georgia Robert S. Kennemur "', ' Ralph Washington Member at,l~rge - Atlanta, Georgia Ted King Member at large· Atfgnta, Georgia Colonel Herman Cofer Commissioner Lt. Colonel Porter Weaver Deputy Commissioner Major Hugh Hardison Commanding Officer Homer Brisendine Director - Staff Services Major J. B. Dailey Treasurer 3 o /1 l~1 )I , I 1 IJ ~ J 1 ~ ~ j J• l~ ~ .~, ~ j j j j 1 : 1 I J· ~ 1 •~ 1 4 Governor George Busbee \~ 'tJ ;) ®f£irl~ of ily£ @ottcrnor J\tI,mht, @fOtgta 30334 ®corSl! t!llusbee GOVERNOR To the Members of the Department of Public Safety, state of Georgia Once again, it is a genuine pleasure to express to you my appreciation for your continued success in curtailing the number of traffic fatalities on Georgia's roads and highways. Through your efforts, our state now boasts the enviable record of only 3.1 deaths per 100 million miles of travel, the lowest in the history of automotive travel. The year 1976 also brought the'third consecutive year of reduced trc..\ffic fatalities and the lowes'\:. number of highway deaths in 14 years. d I am proud of your outstanding record of 1976, and I know that all Georgians share my pride in your'accomplishments. Georgia is safer tOday because of your dedication and the fa~t that you have kept abreast of new techniques and have taken advantage of training opportunities which enhance the depart­ ment's overall efficiency and effectiveness. cer~ \ ~. ( 5 () ~() ,j ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ J r:J\ fij 1 ~ J ~. , ) " o ~, ,/1 /' ' /" ~ I .;1 l Colonel J. H. Cofer 6 Commissioner (( o ~Ehq.1'~:t,httt:ttt .ttl? ":tthH.c ~»£t.t:g llont <JDf£tCl! 'l!lo:!t l'~.?1i CO~ON~L~,H.CO~~R I.T, CO~, PORT~R W~AVI::R COMMISSIONE:R J\thttthtt <15cc~ght .;=!.a.;=!.lll DEPUTY COMMISSIONF.:/'l Gov~hno~ G~o~g~ B~b~~ Membe!l-6 06 th~ Gen~a.e. A.6.6~bR.y Th~ Pubtlc 06 Geo~g~a 1976, the. lj~aJL 06 OM Na;t(.on'.6 Blcent~nMal, Wa.6 a.t6o a mom~nto~ y~aJL 601t th~ Geoltg,[a Vepah:tment 06 PubUc. Sa6 e:ty. VM-Lng th~ la.6t c.a.e.endaJL tje.aJL oM :tJl.a66'[c. /Jao dy~6 60JL.t6 w~e plLoduc..tLv~, W~ bruev~. OM .6:tat~ lr.ec.OIr.ded the lOWe.6t numb~ 06 ;t)~a66..{.c. dea.th6 ~n 14 yeaM and ,the .e.OWe.6t death 1Lat~ ~n th~ IUAtolLlj 0 n ,th~ au:tomo/bU~ ~n G~olLg~. TIU..6 Wa.6 aU accompwhe.d de.6pUe. a. 6% ,[nc.heMe ~n the. amount 0'6 bt.avel on OM .6ta:t~'.6 ~oad.6 and WM aC!.compwhed wLthout add-Lng molLe men. ;to th~ c.onUnge.nt 06 ,the. G~ohg~a Sta:t~ PathoR.. OM pJUnc.,Lpa.R. a-Lm and goal ,[,6 to phov'[d~ a Mgh degh~e. 06 pho,te.mon and .6a6e:ty 60~ oM motoJUng pubtlc. thhough e.66,[~ent and c.on.6'[d~a:te. en60lLce.ment phog~CUI1.6. Thue phogham.6 ~ange. 6lLom dJUve.~ tlc.en.6~ng to .tLc.ke:t .w.6uanc~ and nltom mafUng a 4pe.e.ch to plL~-.6choo.e.eJt-6 to k.~~p~ng th~ peac~ ,i.n ,Umu 06 ~vli .6:tJU6e.· In th~ c.omhtg montit6 and yeaM we. .wLU.. conUnu.~ to .6:tJUve. OM. a Mgh de.gJt.e.e. 06 e.66,[~e.nc.y and pho6e.6.6~oncdM,m .60 tha,t we. ~ght c.on.tcnue :to he.c.eA.ve. YOM .6UppOJL.t and c.on.6~de.ha:U.on 60h OUlt pub,Uc. .6a6e:ty e.6601it6. 1. H. C06~ Colonel - Comm-L.6.6~on~ u r 7 ... .... .... ... I Govepnop~ BOARO OF PUBLIC SAFETY I DEPUTY COMMISSIONER I Public 1l1speC11dnal I Inlormatlon ServIces I --- ------~~--------- () 1976, the Nation's Bicentennial Year, was also a record one in the field of traffic safety in Georgia. 101976 Georgia traffic deaths were numbered at 1289, the first time since 1962 total deaths for a calendar year fell to less than 1300. The deatt, rate - • - the number of deaths for each 100 million miles of travel - •• fell to 3.2 deaths compared to 6 deaths in 1962 when 1106 deaths were recorded. The 3.2 death rate, the only real guage of traffic safety efforts, is the lowest in the history of the aUl",mobile in Georgia. Georgia's impressive record in traffic death reduction over the last three years is due in large part to fower speeds and a renewed awareness in safety brought on by the 55 mph speed limit. Since the lowering of maximum speed limits in Georgia' in 1974, a 35% redLl(~tion in deaths has been recorded, giving the state the second greatest percentage reduction in the Nation. Other factors which affected this positive trend in death reduction are improved roadways, improved medical services, \L greater public concerns, a bettr.r educated driver, safer vehicles, and most Important of all, an active and agressive enforcement \ program by the Geol"igia Stat, Patrol. 1 II Our 1976 impl4bved traffic laws also played an important role in death reductions. One of these laws resulted in stiffer penalties for drivers Q:onvicted of driving under the influence of intoxicants. At the end of 1976 alcohol related deaths had decreased by 21% frdlm 225 to 177; injuries in alcohol related accidents had dropped from 1907 in 1975 to 1607 In 1976 for a 15% decrease. The t1'lQst interesting fact was that arrest for DU I had dropped by 12%, from a 1975 figure of 17,738 to 15,575 in 1976. This indicates that there may h~ve b6"~n fewer drunks on the road. Nevertheless, alcohol remains the single higgest contributing factor ilh traffic deaths, playing a deadly role in more than half of all traffjc fatalities. The State PatrDI also in 1976 took a stiffer stand on pro$ecution of reckless drivers under the state's homocide by vehicle. statutes. No tonger will the Patrol wait for char!cles to be preferred by the victim's family, but with advice and guic/lince of the local district attorMy, press charges in these serious type cases. In 1976 there were 20 such convictions for homoclde by vehicle· .11 repres!:lnting (3 significant increase. While the visible State Trooper hI a deterrent to traffic law violations and a reducer of accidents, visibility is no guarantee an accident won't happen. There Wetii mort' than 150 thOtlSafid reported accidents I~st year with more than 50 thousand in· juries resulting. F'requently the State Trooper is the flnt on the scene of an accident. His ability and c,apability to stop bleeding, splint breaks, and restore breathing often provides the critical margin between life and death. In 1916 a $4/),000 federal gran 1', pmvid~d 450 state troopers vJi1th modern emergency first aid kits identical to those used by paramedics. The kits have proven ~hemsi;'llves many times already. Coupled with any earlier training programs, the ft~st aid kits make state troopers competon t al1d capable of ren(:lering life saving aid at the scene of an accident. Since the lowering of speed limH laiMS in 1974, Georgia has relied heavily on voluntary compliance by the motoring publlc in helping the state attain a record of the second greatest percentage reduction in traffic deaths in the nation. Such voluntary complianoe as redu(~ed spueds al.so rely on gentle persuasion. This persuasion comes in the,,form of cam- cl.11 paigns through the news media on t(,e ben.efits of lower speeds from <I stand point of safllty ,as well as energy conservation.