Traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for youth in the United States. There is much we can and must do to reduce their risks and keep them safe on our highways. We now have a generation of young drivers who are coming into the driver learning experience with a device they hold dear--and have a hard time disconnecting from when behind the wheel.
Our challenge at National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) and its member organizations is to engage and empower youth leaders to work together with their peers to become a generation of texters who text responsibly and not when they are behind the wheel of an automobile.
Youth from around the country apply and are chosen to attend the Washington, DC Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Summits and become the leadership teams that host summits in their states and communities. In the tradition of NOYS, these Summits are youth-organized and youth-led. You can watch someof the activity from the 2012 Teen Distracted Driving Summit here. As you can imagine, they put bring a lot of youthful energy and spin.
As part of their efforts, some of our young leaders developed a distraction driving prevention toolkit for adults trying to reach young people.
NOYS would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us in Washington, D.C. on May 8th for the launch of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month™! For more information on Global Youth Traffic Safety Month and the 2013 Teen Distracted Driving Summit, or to get involved, email [email protected] or visit www.noys.org.
As part of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month, teens around the country are hosting Act Out Loud rallies. To find a rally near you visit www.actoutloud.org.
One of the dynamic youth leader teams that attended the 2012 National Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Summit was the triplet brothers Matthew, Brian, and Timothy Salit from Massachusetts. They are planning and hosting a youth-led opportunity for high school students from around the State of Massachusetts to learn about effective methods for distracted driving prevention campaigns.
240 students and 30 educators were selected to attend the event at the Massachusetts State House that will occur on May 17, 2013. At the summit, speakers from different backgrounds will talk about a variety of topics related to distracted driving. One of the most recognized speakers is AT&T national spokesperson Wil Craig, who will share his story.
The Salit brothers believe that if students can truly understand the potential devastating impact caused by irresponsible behavior behind the wheel, like texting and driving, we can dramatically reduce the number of fatal distracted driving crashes. So teens who attend the Massachusetts summit will have an opportunity to try out the Distractology 101 trailer, a realistic simulation of different distracted driving situations.
Another great example of youth
leadership is the Morris, Minnesota, Business Professionals of America (BPA)
chapter. Preventing texting while driving has become one of their strong passions.
Last fall, they kicked off the school year with a “Safety Back to School Dance,” that included safe driving presentations by local EMTs, the police department, and the sheriff’s department. Students visited booths to earn tickets for a chance to win prizes. The evening was a huge success, and they're already planning this fall's event.
In March at the Minnesota BPA conference, the teens from Morris hosted a texting while driving simulator and encouraged students to sign a pledge not to text behind the wheel.
As part of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month this May, they will host a week of Act Out Loud activites at their school for safe teen driving. Their plans include a week of lunchtime events including a simulator, an obstacle course, and much more. Their big week will end with a school assembly featuring a moulage--a presentation of simulated crash injuries--by the school's EMT class.
The Salit brothers and the Morris BPA are just two of the many groups involved in NOYS' student-led safe driving initiatives across the country. If you're interested in joining or supporting NOYS, we're ready to put your energy to work for safer driving.
Follow
us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4NOYS
Stay informed and sign up for our E-Newsletter http://tinyurl.com/cg25dxt
“Youth Saving Youth” http://www.noys.org
Comments