Safe driving campaign kicks off as Virginia saw a 56% increase in fatal teen crashes last year

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – A statewide teen secure driving marketing campaign kicked off this week in Virginia. Liberty Excessive Faculty is considered one of Virginia’s colleges that’s taking part within the ‘Drive for Change: Buckle Up and Gradual Down’ marketing campaign.

College students and lecturers at LHS did a parking zone survey Friday morning to learn the way many teen drivers had been carrying their seatbelt. 25% of teenagers weren’t buckled in.

One LHS scholar defined why she’s working to teach different teenagers to drive secure on the street.

“Earlier than becoming a member of the group, Youth of Virginia Converse Out About Site visitors Security (YOVASO), I didn’t actually look after driving the velocity restrict or carrying my seat belt,” Kianna Meadows stated. “It wasn’t that necessary till I joined YOVASO, and seeing the way it impacted others and saved so many lives actually impressed me.”

Meadows is now on the management staff for Liberty Excessive Faculty’s YOVASO chapter. The group encourages different teen drivers to buckle up and decelerate.

YOVASO’s trainer sponsor at LHS defined why it’s necessary to teach his college students.

“Our membership is the one membership that may save your life,” Ben Thurman stated. “Should you take heed to what we are saying you stand a greater likelihood at residing to the subsequent day, displaying as much as college and to residing your full life.”

The three month marketing campaign comes after Virginia noticed a 56% improve in teen fatalities whereas driving from 2020 to 2021. Dad and mom like Tammy Gweedo McGee are keen about getting the secure driving message out to teenagers and their households.

“The one factor that you simply don’t suppose is ever going to occur, occurred to us sadly,” Gweedo McGee stated.

Gweedo McGee misplaced her 16-year-old son, Connor, in a automotive accident on Homecoming evening. She now advocates throughout the Commonwealth for secure teen driving campaigns.

“Should you get a number of youngsters to purchase into that course of, they speak to a different teenager and it’s a pure inherit energy that they’ve once they communicate with different youngsters to affect them and to affect correct driving conduct,” Gweedo McGee stated.

College students, lecturers and oldsters are working to try to lower the variety of deadly accidents teenagers have on the street.

“I’ll by no means be capable of hug my son once more, he won’t come again,” Gweedo McGee stated. “However what we will do, is we will take his tragedy to assist others.”

Greater than 60% of Virginia teenagers who died in a automotive accidents final yr weren’t carrying a seatbelt.

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