ATLANTA — The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has received a $15,000 grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association and the National Road Safety Foundation to bolster its drowsy driving prevention efforts.

Following a competitive application process that included review by a panel of issue experts, Georgia was one of five states to receive funding from this national partnership, along with Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and New York, Georgia officials said.

GOHS will utilize its grant funds to partner with the Department of Agriculture to raise awareness of drowsy driving through a presence at the Georgia National Fair. GOHS will produce additional educational materials to be distributed at other events and share NRSF drowsy driving resources across a variety of media platforms, state officials said.

“We’re so grateful to GHSA and the National Road Safety Foundation for this opportunity to bring greater awareness to the issue of drowsy driving,” GOHS Director Allen Poole said. “We know drowsy driving can have effects similar to that of drunk driving and that is the message we’re trying to convey.”

This is the third year of GHSA and NRSF’s grant program, which equips states with resources needed to tackle the challenge of drowsy driving. Program initiatives incorporate best practices identified by GHSA and NRSF, utilizing public awareness campaigns, virtual reality and innovative partnerships to engage key audiences.

“Drowsy driving continues to be a chronic and often overlooked issue on our nation’s roadways,” said Jonathan Adkins, GHSA executive director. “We are excited to continue this partnership with the National Road Safety Foundation to support innovative state approaches addressing this problem.”

“This year’s grantees were chosen from an outstanding group of applicants dedicated to taking action against fatigued driving,” said Michelle Anderson, NRSF director of operations. “NRSF is glad to provide this funding to support states as they work to keep drowsy drivers off the road.”