Safety Training for Illinois' Teen Drivers

 Posted on March 12, 2014 in Personal Injury

The incidence of accidents involving new teen drivers is undeniable. Their inexperience, coupled with their newfound independence, often results in distractions and mistakes being made while operating a vehicle. While some resulting accidents involve negligence, others involve poor decision making on the part of the teen driver. Recently, teens in Marion, Illinois took part in a program aimed at providing safety training to new drivers.

Williamson County Traffic Safety Day

According to an article recently published by The Southern Illinoisian, February 25th marked the sixth annual Williamson County Traffic Safety Day in the City of Marion. One of the most popular presentations featured during the day was "Street Smart," given by Florida SAFE, which is a firefighter/paramedic group from Dade County, Florida. About 120 students from Marion High School were in attendance at the morning presentation.

Street Smart

Representatives from the program discussed numerous dangers of driving with the teens. Topics included the perils of drinking and drugs, impaired and distracted driving, speeding, and making sure to use a seat belt. The program was designed as an attempt to engage students throughout the presentation by posing direct questions, as well as by having them aid in demonstrating emergency response scenarios. One such scenario included showing the students what happens from the emergency responder's perspective when the victim of a crash comes into their Trauma Center in critical condition. The presenters provided the teens with medical information, and also engaged them with humorous anecdotes when appropriate.

The presenters said that, after listening to all of the information delivered throughout the program, the three most important points the students will hopefully understand are: always wearing a seatbelt to protect themselves and others; choosing to avoid alcohol when driving, as it hinders reaction time and decision making; and avoiding distracted driving involving cell phone use and eating.

The Purpose of the Program

The program's representatives geared the presentation more towards the sharing of information, as opposed to lecturing the teens on how to behave. They encouraged the students to take the information they were given and apply it to their lives, in addition to sharing it with their peers.

The presenters emphasized that the purpose of the presentation was to empower the teens to avoid dangerous situations and live long, healthy lives. Their aim is to make teens aware that they will face many choices in life, and to encourage them to make the right ones.

Members of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office said many students showed a positive response to the Florida SAFE presentation and identified with the presenters because they kept the teens engaged. This year marked the largest traffic safety day to date, with a total of approximately 1,500 students in attendance. All together, they represented 28 different high schools across 10 counties in the state.