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GMC launches 'Keep Our Students Safe' campaign to combat traffic accidents

The school says there have been 74 accidents near the intersection of Elbert and Greene Street since 2013.

Georgia Military College is asking drivers to be especially careful when traveling on Elbert and Greene Streets.

With four accidents since the beginning of the school year, GMC officials say it's time to make a change.

Nicole Butler met up with a student about the problems she sees, and drives deeper into what GMC is doing to keep their students safe.

The school says there have been 74 accidents near the intersection of Elbert and Greene Street since 2013.

Senior Anna Caldwell says the road has such a reputation she's scared to walk or even drive on it.

"To drive and get to the student parking lot is kind of stressful when there is always kids trying to cross the street and there are a lot of fast cars going around, so even when I myself am crossing the street, it's a little bit nerve-racking," she says.

According to the school, there have already been four accidents since August.

"And I usually wait for a little bit before I do cross so I make sure no cars are going to try and run that yellow light," Caldwell says.

Associate Principal Steven Greer says many accidents are caused by people speeding through campus and not paying attention near the cross walks.

So the school has assigned campus police every day to monitor and ticket people who violate traffic rules.

"Ultimately we want to keep everybody safe, and when we have issued 24 citations in the last two weeks and 115 citations last year, you can see there is a need for the road diet plan we've got to reduce the speed before we have a major accident with one of our students," Greer says.

Greer says that plan to shrink the roadway is their best bet at a permanent solution.

"Essentially it takes a four-lane road and reduces it to two lanes, so it provides a little bit of safe space there and allows our pedestrians around 3,000 a day the better ability to be safe," he says.

So until then they are asking drivers to slow down and stay alert because it's just not worth risking a life.

The school is currently waiting for the funding to be approved for the road diet plan, but until then they hope the campaign raises awareness until a permanent solution is in place.

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