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Community Corner

Driving Summit to Focus on Teen Safety

MHS SADD Chapter to lead first Teen Safe Driving Summit at Rutgers this summer.

While a recently released AAA report shows that the most dangerous time of year for AAA for teen drivers are the summer months, five members of Millburn High School’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Chapter will help lead New Jersey’s first statewide, peer-to-peer Teen Safe Driving Summit this summer.

The Summit, on July 15, at  Rutgers University’s Busch Campus in Piscataway is 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.  

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The Summit will provide facts about New Jersey’s Graduated  Driver License (GDL) program and teach teens how to leverage it to improve their skills and drive more safely.   Summit organizers say that the latter is critical since motor vehicle crashes are the No.1 killer of teens in New Jersey.

Incoming seniors James Kiselik, Samira Somony and Briana Bergeron,  along with incoming junior Martin Krasteve, and graduating senior Mike Matchen were selected to lead a workshop addressing  the GDL program’s passenger provision, which limits teens holding a probationary license to transporting just one passenger unless a parent or guardian is in the vehicle.  Adherence to the provision is critical since the crash risk for novice drivers increases by 50 percent when there is another passenger in the vehicle.  

Some 25 percent of the 49,000 teen crashes in New Jeresey last year were caused by  distraction or inattention because of both elecronic devices and other passengers. Electronic devices are restricted under the GDL program -- something teens will be made aware of at the summit.

“Not only is the Teen Safe Driving Summit providing us an engaging experience to interact with similar-minded teens, but it will also be an effective means to advocate for and raise awareness of driver safety, something that is often overlooked by most high school students,” said Somany.  

Jennifer Manis,  a social studies teacher and the SADD advisor at Millburn High, echoed Somany’s enthusiasm.  

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“It’s essential for our students to share the message about passengers and their impact on teen driver safety.  Peer-to-peer interaction has the greatest impact on changing behaviors and saving lives.  The SADD students have demonstrated a commitment to be at the forefront of a movement to promote greater safety and awareness in our community, and now at the state level as well.”

In addition to discussing distraction caused by passengers, teens participating in the summit will also learn about the importance of seat belts and the dangers of late night driving as well as cell phones and texting.  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.  Additionally, the GDL program calls for teens holding a permit or probationary license 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 day-long event.  

Admission to the summit is free, but limited to the first 120 teens (parents and advisors are welcome).  To register, the summit website by clicking here. visit www.ugotbrains.com/registraion prior to June 23.

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