This year is the 17th anniversary since the announcement of National Teen Driver Safety Week. But what is it and why do we celebrate it?
First of all, National Teen Safety Week is celebrated on the last week of October because it’s the beginning of the school year, a time when teens are particularly participating in various activities, including driving, sports, and social events. The timing emphasizes the significance of promoting safety awareness during a period of time when many teens face challenges and increased responsibilities.
This week is dedicated to raising awareness and seeking solutions to prevent teen injuries an deaths on the road. It was created to spread awareness about the risks and to promote safe driving practices. The initiative aims to educate teens, parents, and communities about the importance of responsible driving behaviors, the dangers of distractions, and the impact of peer pressure. By focusing on these issues, the week encourages efforts to reduce the number of accidents and deaths among young drivers.
At our school, Students Against Destructive Decisions Club (SADD) decided to draw quotes and doodles to spread awareness in front of the school. I spoke to the president Rory Ali of SADD about the purpose of their chalk drawings, she stated, “Teen drivers all over the world get into serious accidents due to many issues because of drunk driving, text while driving, and in general reckless driving. Our job as members of SADD, is to insure nobody will participate in destructive decisions such as reckless driving. Our chalk drawings bring awareness to teen safety when it comes to driving. We drew in vibrant colors what it means to be a good driver.”
