Eyes on the road, minds on the future; Teens to lead driver’s safety campaigns

Despite making up only 6.6% of the driving population, drivers ages 15-20 account for over 10% of all crashes— and 8.2% of drivers in fatal crashes.

“Risky and dangerous behavior, such as speeding or distracted driving, and inexperience are the primary factors contributing to teen-driver fatalities.”
—Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning

To bring the issue home, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) and Ford Philanthropy are asking drivers in that age group to come up with a campaign that will appeal best to their peers, hopefully reducing these numbers and getting more of them home safely.

Schools are asked to develop and implement a student-led, peer-to-peer traffic safety awareness campaign focusing on vulnerable roadway users like pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers—those with no control over the vehicles—and those who use public transportation or ride-shares.

Each participating school will get $1,000 to get the campaign going, then create and submit a video, PowerPoint presentation, or other form of media to show their campaign.

Safety experts from OHSP, Ford Philanthropy, and the Transportation Improvement Association will judge the submissions and select the top entries.

Your team can sign up here .