Seventy percent of fatalities in car crashes occur due to unsafe driving behaviors including distractions, impairments or driving too fast for conditions, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT). This includes all angle, rear-end, head-on and failure to stop collisions. This troubling number, combined with dramatically rising fatality rates caused by crashes on roads nationwide, have led to an important new partnership to help address these problems.

The Lutzie 43 Foundation and Georgia DOT launched a statewide, full-scale awareness campaign in honor of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, with one goal; to end distracted and impaired driving to make roads in Georgia safer for both motorists and vulnerable roadway users, including pedestrians. The campaign included digital billboards across the state and other digital advertising efforts to promote safe driving awareness. 

The Lutzie 43 Foundation is creating the first nationally-recognized symbol for distracted and impaired driving awareness — the 43 Key Seconds key. This physical key is a reminder to take 43 Key Seconds every time you get in the car to have a clear head, clear hands, clear eyes and click your seatbelt before starting the car. By taking 43 Key Seconds, drivers can Drive Alert Arrive Alive. 

By partnering with Georgia DOT, the Lutzie 43 Foundation’s 43 Key Seconds safe driving initiative paired with Georgia DOT’s Drive Alert Arrive Alive campaign together provide all drivers with the education and tools necessary to prioritize safety and make educated decisions and priority behind the wheel. 

"April is an important month,” said Mike Lutzenkirchen, executive director of the Lutzie 43 Foundation. “By being a part of the conversation during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, we can help drivers across the state learn about the dangers of distracted driving. We are providing tools drivers can use to begin to create safe driving habits behind the wheel that could save their life.”

The Lutzie 43 Foundation began in 2014 after Philip Lutzenkirchen, an Auburn University student-athlete, lost his life in a distracted and impaired accident in LaGrange, Georgia. The driver had been drinking, and Philip was not wearing his seatbelt that night. When the vehicle rolled through a stop sign well over the speed limit, Philip was thrown 15 feet from the vehicle. He died on impact. 

Fifty-seven percent of victims in car crashes were not wearing their seatbelts, or it was unknown if they were wearing seatbelts. Georgia DOT created the Drive Alert Arrive Alive campaign to educate drivers about simple changes they can make in their driving behaviors to improve safety, prevent crashes and save lives. 

"The partnership with the Lutzie 43 Foundation will make a difference for safety on our roadways. Research has shown intervention and education significantly lower speeding, drunk driving and involvement in crashes with novice drivers. What excites me is we are only just getting started with this initiative,” said Sam Harris, Georgia DOT State Safety Engineering Manager. “We started the campaign for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month on April 1, 2022. The day before, we hosted the first Safe Driving Summit in Carrollton, Georgia. It has been impactful to see the collaborative efforts by the Lutzie 43 Foundation and Georgia DOT team to help prevent what happened to Philip from happening to others. All of us at Georgia DOT are looking forward to building on the momentum from the April campaign to continue our efforts to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities from distracted and impaired driving.” 

For more information about the partnership, the Lutzie 43 Foundation or to schedule interviews, please email Katie Stotts, [email protected]. Please view the Lutzie 43 Foundation press kit. For more information about Drive Alert Arrive Alive, any of Georgia DOT’s many safety initiatives or the Georgia Department of Transportation, please email Natalie Dale at [email protected].