The Fulton County Board of Health (FCBOH), in collaboration with Safe Kids Fulton County, the City of South Fulton Fire Department, and the Union City Fire Department, is launching Safety Town Georgia. There will be information, demonstrations, free bicycle helmets, and other child safety equipment provided while supplies last during the City of South Fulton’s Freedom Festival celebrating Juneteenth. That event is scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2022 from 1:00 pm- 6:00 pm at Wolf Creek Amphitheatre, at 3025 Merk Road, SW, Atlanta, Ga. 30349.

“FCBOH is excited to offer the Safety Town Georgia, an interactive small-scale town with buildings, traffic signs, railroad crossings, and automobiles, to promote pedestrian safety,” says Dr. Lynn Paxton, Fulton County Health Director. “We will use Safety Town Georgia to conduct demonstrations at daycare centers, elementary schools, and other locations making it accessible to the community.”

Safety Town Georgia works to teach young children how to safely walk on sidewalks, bike, scoot, skate, and cross the street safely using traffic signals and crosswalks. Other features include DUI simulator goggles for teens to experience the impact of driving under the influence. Technicians on-site will also demonstrate how to properly install infant car seats/boosters and offer caregivers an opportunity to register for Child Passenger Safety Classes at local inspection stations.

Preventable injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. In 2020, children up to 19 years of age accounted for nearly 4,200 emergency room visits at Fulton County hospitals. Of those, 20 percent of those visits were attributed to motor vehicle crashes.