Department of Driver Services (DDS) Commissioner Spencer R. Moore recently announced the receipt of a grant award of $43,018 from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) for continued support of the State of Georgia Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP). ADAP is a course designed to increase awareness among teens of the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol and the consequences of operating a motor vehicle while impaired or distracted.

Commissioner Moore commented, “We are grateful for the continued help and support received from GOHS to address the risks associated with young drivers operating a motor vehicle while impaired,” said Commissioner Moore. “This partnership allows us to bring this important program to teen drivers and their parents throughout the state and ultimately make our roads safer.”

By law, teens under the age of 18 are required to complete ADAP to obtain their Class D Georgia driver’s license. In Fiscal Year 2021, 76,896 students completed the program either at their high school, as part of a driver training course, or online through eADAP. DDS also offers a free online ADAP component and non-certified 3-year Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) for parents.

This grant award will be used to fund an Operations Analyst who provides technical assistance related to ADAP and eADAP services, responds to customer emails and telephone calls, maintains close communication with instructors, assist teens with obtaining replacement certificates, produces comprehensive reports and trains instructors to teach the ADAP curriculum.

“The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is working with all of our highway safety partners to reverse the increase in traffic deaths we have seen in the United States in the last two years and the goal of this project is to prevent crashes and save lives on our roads, “Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said.  “We ask everyone to join the mission of saving lives on our roads by driving the speed limit, wearing your seat belt, staying off the phone when driving, and never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”

More teen driving requirements plus the opportunity to conduct transactions such as renewing or replacing a license/ID are available on the DDS website www.dds.georgia.gov or from the free mobile app, DDS 2 GO.