GA Department of Driver Services (DDS) Receives New Grant Funding Dedicated to Teen Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP)

Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) Commissioner Spencer R. Moore recently announced the receipt of a grant award of $50,025.56 for the period of October 2024 through September 30, 2025 from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety with federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This grant will be used to administer the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP) to teen drivers and their parents. The grant funds supply an ADAP Analyst to work with our partners, the Georgia Department of Education, teen students, and their parents who wish to take the Parent ADAP application. The ADAP Analyst provides technical assistance to teens and parents using the secure web-based educational application; trains ADAP instructors; and facilitates the process of registering and recording the completion of the ADAP or eADAP (electronic ADAP ) instruction.

"We sincerely appreciate GOHS's ongoing commitment to tackling the critical issue of unsafe teen driving, especially when it comes to driving under the influence and distracted driving. With their support, we can further expand our impactful programs aimed at educating and raising awareness among teens, helping to foster a culture of safer, more responsible driving. Together, we have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of young drivers and contribute to creating safer roads for all," said Commissioner Moore.

"Part of the GOHS mission is to assist in the implementation of programs and campaigns designed to prevent crashes and eliminate traffic deaths on our roads," said Allen Poole, Director of the Governor Office of Highway Safety. "GOHS will continue to develop new partnerships and continue existing ones in order to create, refine and implement safety programs designed to help our state and nation reach our goal of zero traffic deaths.

Under Georgia law, teens under the age of 18 are required to complete ADAP to obtain their Class D Georgia driver's license. In fiscal year 2023, 51,213 students completed the ADAP course, and 43,357 students completed the course online through eADAP. DDS also offers a free online ADAP component called Parent ADAP, with a free non-certified 3-year Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) for parents who complete the course.

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.