Be a leader, not a speeder

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg High School's leadership class and FFA Advisor Nicole Abel have enrolled in the peer-to-peer program, "Teens in the Driver Seat".

The program began in Texas in 2002 as an initiative under the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. "Teens in the Driver Seat" is available to high schools in 28 states, including Washington, which introduced the program in 2021. The teen driving program promotes traffic safety by addressing specific risks for teen drivers. Risks identified by the program are distractions, nighttime and drowsy driving, speeding and street racing, low safety belt use, impaired driving, and sharing the road.

After completing the required surveys, the leadership class selected seat belt use as the first risk to start the new WHS program. The class planned an assembly for February 4 to introduce the "Teens in the Driver Seat" program.

The morning of the assembly, leaders stationed themselves around the parking lot and counted the number of students using seat belts.  They found that fewer than five did not wear seat belts.

During the assembly for grades 9-12, students played Buckle Blitz, in which teams of four from each class worked together to answer seat belt safety trivia.   Students were also provided with the "You in the Driver Seat" app, which allows them to earn rewards for safe driving.  On the app, drivers start each trip with a driving score of 100 points. Twenty points are deducted for each driving infraction, such as distracted driving (e.g., phone calls, texting) or excessive speeding. The app is for drivers aged 16 to 25 who earn points toward gift cards and other rewards for safe, distraction-free driving.

By participating in "Teens in the Driver Seat," students will work to complete activities for each of the six risk factors. Requirements include two or three in-class focused activities per risk unit and a post-observation. If students complete all six risk units by the end of June, the Waitsburg program will earn $1,200.