FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Six members of Freehold Township High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter will help lead New Jersey’s first statewide, peer-to-peer Teen Safe Driving Summit, GDL4U: Good Driving for Life, on July 15 at Rutgers University’s Busch Campus in Piscataway.
Designed to help teens stay safe behind the wheel, the summit is sponsored by the New Jersey Teen Safe Driving Coalition, a project made possible by a grant from the Allstate Foundation in partnership with the National Safety Council, according to a press release.
The summit will ensure that teenagers get the facts about New Jersey’s Graduated Driver License (GDL) program and learn how to leverage it to build skill and improve their safety.
Rising seniors Bryan Epstein, Kayla Spiegeland, Emily Shapiro and Amanda Berzolla, and rising sophomores Hailee Perez and Emily Rozansky were selected to lead a workshop addressing the GDL program’s restriction on the use of cell phones and other electronic devices while driving, as well as to co-facilitate a workshop on seat belts with SADD chapter members from Old Bridge High School.
According to the press release, distraction and inattention are the leading cause of teen crashes in the state, accounting for approximately 25 percent of the nearly 49,000 teen crashes that occurred on New Jersey’s roads last year. And despite having the highest crash risk of any age group on the road, teens are less likely to wear seat belts, which are required under New Jersey’s GDL program, according to the press release.
“Our SADD chapter opted to participate in the summit because it is the culmination of a year-long effort to spread the safe driving message to our school and community,” said Jamie Rattien, co-adviser of the Freehold Township High School SADD chapter. “Our students believe that if they speak out about the dangers of distracted driving, their message will be heard and remembered by their peers, as well as by teachers, administrators, and members of the community. And if this saves just one life, the students have made a difference.”
In addition to discussing seat belts and distraction caused by cell phones/texting, teens participating in the summit will also learn how passengers and nighttime driving negatively impact their safety when they are behind the wheel.
Under the GDL program, teens holding a probationary license may transport just one passenger unless a parent or guardian is in the vehicle. The provision is critical since the crash risk for novice drivers increases by 50 percent when another teen is in the vehicle, according to the press release.
The GDL program also calls for teens to be off the road between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., when their crash risk increases significantly.
Summit participants will also hear from keynote speaker Cara Filler, who is heralded for her ability to engage and motivate teens to make better and smarter choices about their safety. Social networking, giveaways and an interactive behind-the-wheel driving simulator provided by StreetSafe Driving Academy will wrap up the daylong event.
Admission to the summit is free, but limited to the first 120 teens (parents and advisers are welcome). To register, visit www.ugotbrains.com/registration.