GDOT launches Safe Driving app for drivers to download, drive safe and win prizes

‘Reach Home Safely‘, app powered by Cambridge Mobile Telematics, rewards fans for safe driving
The app, powered by Cambridge Mobile Telematics, rewards fans for safe driving behaviors on the road

ATLANTA, GA – According to the following press release, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) announce the launch of Reach Home Safely, a safe driving app to improve road safety and prevent crashes. To incentivize safe driving, drivers have the opportunity to participate in a contest to compete for the title of safest driver, ensuring they “Drive Alert Arrive Alive.”

Georgia DOT has partnered with the Atlanta Braves for promotion and prizing to support this important initiative. 

GDOT officials say that distracted driving is one of the most urgent road safety crises facing Georgia and the United States today. Statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that distracted driving killed 12,405 people nationwide in 2021, almost the same as impaired driving. CMT’s data shows that 34% of crashes happen within 1 minute of distracted driving. In 2023, Georgia drivers reportedly handled their phones while driving on average for about 1 minute and 50 seconds. This ranks them 43rd in the country and 12.6% higher than the US average. 

House Bill 673, Georgia’s Hands-Free Law, was instituted in 2018 to reduce the dangers of distracted driving and prohibits drivers from using any part of the body to support or hold a standalone or wireless electronic or telecommunications device while driving.

Reportedly Safest Driver programs, like Reach Home Safely, are proven to make roads safer. In other Safest Driver contests, CMT has seen a 48% reduction in distracted driving, a 38% decrease in excessive speeding, and a 57% drop in hard braking. CMT estimates that Georgia could prevent 4,100 crashes, 19 fatalities, and $160 million in economic damages annually by reducing distracted driving by 10%.

“Ensuring that every Georgian reaches their destination safely is our top priority,” Russell R. McMurry, P.E. Georgia DOT Commissioner said in the press release. “By partnering with CMT on the Reach Home Safely app and through the support of the Atlanta Braves, we’re leveraging innovative technology and the power of community to tackle risky driving head-on. The Reach Home Safely program is more than just a contest — it’s a movement towards safer roads across Georgia.” 

“By combining Georgia DOT’s vision for safer roads and CMT’s expertise in telematics, the Reach Home Safely app can save lives in an effort to make Georgia’s roads safer,” Ryan McMahon, SVP of Strategy for CMT added. “The Reach Home Safely app is another example of CMT’s commitment to using technology for the public good.”

The Reach Home Safely app is available for all residents of Georgia. To compete in the contest, participants need to download the free Reach Home Safely mobile app, available on the App Store and Google Play Store. After activating the technology, participants only need to drive safely — the app automatically detects when they’re driving. The app includes a driving score, feedback on driving behaviors, and contest rankings. All driving data for the contest is anonymized and processed only by CMT. The contests include weekly, monthly, and grand prize winners throughout the remainder of the Braves’ regular season, and include prizes like merchandise, access, experiences and more. 

About the Georgia Department of Transportation
The Georgia Department of Transportation plans, constructs and maintains Georgia’s state and federal highways. We’re involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike and pedestrian programs. And we help local governments maintain their roads. Georgia DOT and its nearly 4,000 employees are committed to delivering a transportation system focused on innovation, safety, sustainability and mobility. The Department’s vision is to boost Georgia’s competitiveness through leadership in transportation. 

About Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) is the world’s largest telematics service provider. Its mission is to make the world’s roads and drivers safer. The company’s AI-driven platform, DriveWell Fusion®, gathers sensor data from millions of IoT devices — including smartphones, proprietary Tags, connected vehicles, dashcams, and third-party devices — and fuses them with contextual data to create a unified view of vehicle and driver behavior. Auto insurers, automakers, commercial mobility companies, and the public sector use insights from CMT’s platform to power risk assessment, safety, claims, and driver improvement programs. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with offices in Budapest, Chennai, Seattle, Tokyo, and Zagreb, CMT measures and protects tens of millions of drivers worldwide every day.