By Staff
Staff Report
Gov. Bob Riley has awarded a $98,453 grant to strengthen traffic safety awareness and intervention in Alabama schools and to reduce teenage injuries and deaths on the state's highways.
The funds will be used to establish additional Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapters across the state to educate students on the dangers of drinking and driving.
SADD is a non-profit organization with a mission to end death, injury and other harmful effects of underage drinking, drug use and other destructive behaviors of young people. With this grant, SADD expects to impact approximately 800,000 students in Alabama's public and private schools.
In addition to adding new chapters, SADD will continue to involve other clubs and student councils in their efforts, determine training needs for local chapters and encourage high school students to reach out to middle and elementary school students.
Riley awarded the grant from funds made available to the state through a program of the U.S. Department of Justice. He has designated the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to administer the grant. ADECA Director John Harrison notified John Perkins, state coordinator of SADD, that the grant had been approved.