Students Promote Safe Driving at Shawnee High School
By
Stephanie Tyrpak
By
Benjy Jeffords
Story Created:
Feb 8, 2012 at 6:11 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Feb 8, 2012 at 10:16 PM CDT
WOLF LAKE -- Since 2008, teen driving deaths in Illinois have dropped by more than 50%. A state safety program is trying to lower that number even farther by using ideas from the teens themselves.
"Just terrifying to see students that you know and love on stretchers you know going into an ambulance," said Junior Levi Ford. "You know it really hits home."
In a simulation Wednesday morning, a text message sent by a teen driver caused an SUV full of friends off the road and into a ditch. Several teens were seriously injured and thrown from the vehicle.
"The whole time I had to close my eyes," said Kaitlyn Baltzll, one of the students in the mock crash. "It doesn't even seem like I should be on a stretcher."
The simulated accident is the work of the Shawnee High School prom committee. It's just one way the students have spent the past two months pushing their peers to use seatbelts, put away the cellphone, and never mix alcohol with driving.
"It relates it to them in a way where it's not just, you know, just reading it off a sheet of paper," said Ford.
More than 100 Illinois schools are competing in this year's Operation Teen Safe Driving. The winning schools for each region receive money toward after-prom party, but the goal of the program is to cut down on the number of teen deaths and injuries from driving across the state.
"They've really taken to it and have put their heart into it and realized that this is a big deal," said school program coordinator Mindy Jameson.
The program was launched statewide in 2008, but this year is the first time Shawnee has jumped on board.
"The fact that we are a large school district - we have three counties - there's a lot of driving these kids do." said Jameson.
The school received a $2000 grant for assemblies, posters, even a visit from the grim reaper.
The committee feels the program is making an impact on students.
"I will admit I used to text and drive," said Baltzll. "But ever since I've seen videos and everything, like, I just turn my phone off and set it down."
The students are putting together a presentation featuring all of their work and will submit it to the state in March. More than 15 schools in our region are competing in this year's program.
