About GTIPI

The Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute (GTIPI) is an educational outreach unit of The University of Georgia, with primary funding support from the State of Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). Among many safety and law enforcement functions, GOHS administers federal grant formula funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to support a variety of traffic safety initiatives in Georgia, of which GTIPI is one. Administratively, GTIPI is an initiative of the UGA College of Family & Consumer Sciences, Department of Child & Family Development, Cooperative Extension. Dr. Don Bower, a professor of Child & Family Development, serves as project director.

This UGA/GOHS partnership dates back to the mid-1980's when grant funding was awarded to Extension to purchase demonstrator child safety seats. Local Extension educators in all of Georgia's 159 counties conducted parent classes in the consistent and correct use of these seats. The project, then known as the Occupant Safety Education Program (OSEP), has evolved into a statewide comprehensive traffic injury prevention/education effort. The project became known as GTIPI in 2002.

The state office is located at the Institute's training facility in Conyers, Georgia. GTIPI also has a regional presence through staff based at selected Cooperative Extension county offices. Major educational program emphases now include child safety seats, safety belts, teen driving, and senior drivers. The use of child safety seats in Georgia has risen from less than 20% to around 87% while this initiative has been active.

In addition to GOHS, GTIPI works in close collaboration with organizations such as Safe Kids Georgia, DHR's Injury Prevention Section, private industry, the Georgia Motor Trucking Association, law enforcement agencies and other safety educators.

Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute
1070 Culpepper Drive, Suite 300
Conyers, Georgia 30094
Telephone: (678) 413- 4281 or toll free (800) 342-9819
Facsimile: (678) 413-4293
Email: gtipi@uga.edu
Web: www.ridesafegeorgia.org

Dr. Don Bower
UGA Project Director
Professor Emeritus and Extension Human Development Specialist
UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences


Frankie Jones
GTIPI Director
(678) 413- 4281 or (800) 342-9819
fejones@uga.edu

Administrative Staff

Jean Keesee
Administrative Associate
(678) 413- 4290 or (800) 342-9819
jkeesee@uga.edu

Kim Crawford, CPST
Adminstrative Assistant
(678) 413- 4281 or (800) 342-9819
kccrawfo@uga.edu

Education and Training Staff

Dana Porter, CPSTI
Program & Evaluation Coordinator
(770) 929- 4046 or (800) 342-9819
dmp71@uga.edu

Andrew Turnage, M.Ed, CPSTI
Child Passenger Safety Program Coordinator
Public Information & Education Coordinator
(678) 413- 4283 or (800) 342-9819
turnage@uga.edu

Leigh Ebelhar, CPSTI
Education Program Specialist II
(678) 413- 4284 or (800) 342-9819
leigh1@uga.edu

Mary Ann Robinson, CPSTI
Education Program Specialist II
(678) 413- 4288 or (800) 342-9819
marobin@uga.edu

Richard Montalvo, CPST
Safety Educator
Yo hablo Español
678-413-4283 or (800) 342-9819
rmontal@uga.edu