SPOKANE, Wash. — For many teens, getting a Driver’s License is the first real taste of freedom. But those fun times can quickly turn to tragedy if they are not careful.
According to a report by the CDC, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. That’s why Spokane Police is trying to help local schools implement the Teens in the Driver Seat program.
“We are all striving to keep everyone on the road safe and the more education that we can provide to these early drivers, the better,” said SPD’s Sergeant Teresa Fuller.
Teens in the Driver Seat is a peer-to-peer safety program for young drivers.
“It’s not the law enforcement or even the teachers coming in and saying ‘You have to do it this way.’ It’s the students education themselves and keeping each other safe,” Fuller said.
SPD said school organizations can earn cash rewards for different activities they do revolving around driving safety. There is also an app where if students don’t use their phone or speed while driving, they can earn points which can be redeemed for $10 gift cards.
The Mead School District has already signed up for this program and Mt. Spokane High School is the first in the district to implement Teens in the Driver Seat.
The hope is that because the program is peer-led, students will feel like they have a voice and feel empowered to teach others about being safe on the road.
Jeff Naslund from the Mead School District said they hope to increase awareness around speeding and distracted driving.
“We have a lot of teen drivers and it’s important to our community to have safe drivers out there,” Naslund said. “My own daughter is a new driver so I want to make sure we have safe roads and safe drivers out there.”
Naslund said Mt. Spokane students found out about the program this week and are ready to get started.
If your teenage driver is getting ready to hit the road or is already on the road, SPD has some advice.
“Parents have to do the same behaviors. They have to stay off their phone. They can’t speed in order for the kids to get that message,” Sgt. Fuller said. “It’s important for the parents to obey the law too.”
Schools that are interested in the Teens in the Driver Seat program can contact Sgt. Fuller at tfuller@spokanepolice.org
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