Operation Drive Safe

Issue: Driver Safety

Grant Amount: $52724
New Castle, PA
Year Funded: 2011
Organization: New Castle Jr./Sr. High School

Contact Information

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Operation Drive Safe is an on-going student-created and student-led service-learning project addressing teen driver safety issues (seat belt use, obeying the laws, distracted driving and drinking and driving/underage drinking). Students will utilize modern forms of social media to educate and communicate important messages to school districts in surrounding counties so that we may all work together to reduce accidents. We will provide each school with a ‘how to’ binder to start their own campaigns that will include cross-curriculum activities for every department and reach elementary students to adults.

Our project specifically addresses Driver Safety, one of the categories eligible for funding.

Our goals/objectives are to:
1. Increase seat belt use
2. Increase adherance to traffic controls and obeying the laws
3. Decrease driving distractions
4. Stress the dangers of drinking and driving and adress underage drinking

Additional goals are to:
1. Save teen lives
2. Increase the number of students involved in promoting teen driver safety
3. Focus our efforts on the above objectives to show that we are making a difference
4. Provide opportunities for teens to have a youth voice through service-learning activities
5. Change attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent accidents and/or reduce accidents and
fatalities in our state

Project Updates

"X" the Text Campaign

A local radio station contacted us to promote an "X" the text campaign. They secured funding from sponsors and we had 6 team members record radio PSA's that were aired for 3 months (50 commercials a week). Additionally, students committed to doing a banner signing and gave out thumb bands at 10 home basketball games. Our team is currently undefeated so attendance at games is great! We are thrilled that people in the community recognize our efforts and are now coming to us.

Teen Driver Safety Summit

Team members attended a teen driver safety summit at another school in a neighboring county. We were able to present them with a mini-grant to help with costs. They had a life flight helicopter nurse speak to the participants as well as an accident re-constructionist. The autospy photos from the accident were very compelling. Our team members are setting up dates to go out into 7 local school districts in our county to collaborate on teen driver safety activities. We are all in this together.

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