Effingham County Sheriff’s Office awarded $324K in highway safety, traffic enforcement grants

EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office was awarded just over $324,000 in highway safety and traffic enforcement grants by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).The GOHS’s H.E.A.T. grant totaled $289,692, also known as a Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic grant.Effingham County said their H.E.A.T Unit will use the grant to develop and implement strategies to reduce crashes from aggressive and dangerous driving.The overall goal of the H.E.A.T. program is listed as combatting crashes, injuries and fatalities from impaired driving and speeding, while increasing seat belt use and educating the public about traffic safety and DUI dangers.“Our goal is not simply to write more citations, but to change dangerous driving behavior and prevent crashes before they happen,” Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie said. “I want to thank Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for recognizing the importance of traffic safety in our community and for continuing