Wyoming Teens Participate in New Safety Program to Put the Brakes on Youth Traffic Crashes

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. In this week’s WYDOT Report, Doug McGee tells us about a new program to educate teens about safe driving.

“Wyoming teens were recently the first to experience a new Youth Interactive Traffic Safety Lab program on the Wind River Reservation.”

WYDOT partnered with the National Transportation Safety Board and the In One Instant Teen Safe Driving Program to bring traffic safety messaging to more than 400 students.

Cody Beers, the District 5 Public Information Sepcialist notes, "Many students these days don't learn about driving until they actually climb behind the wheel. We had drivers ed, they don't, and so this gives them just an introduction into the world of driving. We're excited about it, and we got a great group that came from all over the country to make this happen."

"They're having fun, and they care about safety. So that's exciting, that everybody cares about safety and doing the right thing" said Beers.

The day-long event combined presentations from national traffic safety leaders with hands-on activities highlighting the risks of impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding, and lack of seat belt use.

"It just showed how fast things can go wrong. And, you know, life is short, so you got to really be mindful of other people's safety and your own safety and the choices you make," stated student Chloe Iron-Cloud.

The Director of the Wind River Intertribal Council hopes that they can make a difference and impact students' decision making as far as young drivers.