Young People Making "NOYS" for Safety in Florida
Young people in Florida are taking a hands-on approach to improving traffic safety through the Florida National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS) initiative, building on the work done by the Governor’s Council for Young Adult Drivers. This council, comprised of professional and student representatives, had identified three major concerns faced by young drivers in Florida: the lack of training received by beginning drivers, the lack of a primary enforcement law for safety belts, and alcohol-related crashes involving young drivers. The council made recommendations to the governor including: enhancement of the existing graduated licensing law to provide for mandatory drivers’ education, 50 hours of driving experience before issuing a permanent license, limiting the number of passengers for six months after being licensed, passage of a primary safety belt enforcement law, and additional sanctions for underage drinking.
Twenty-eight students, representing youth organizations of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Bacchus and Gamma Peer Education, Parental Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE, Inc.), Future Homemakers of America (FHA) and National Peer Helpers Association, and their advisors attended a two-day training. The students learned how to approach legislators and present their case, how to write letters to legislators, how to work with the media, and how to develop community campaigns. They also polished their presentation skills.
The training included an overview of traffic safety issues in Florida that affect beginning drivers. The students developed skills for communicating these issues to legislators, the media and their peer group. They also learned the value of coalition building.
Florida NOYS members plan to visit state legislators to discuss primary enforcement of safety belt use and enhancement of graduated licensing. They will present workshops at the state conferences of SADD, Peer Helpers, FHA, Bacchus and Gamma and other organizations and are participating in Buckle Up Florida activities. For more information, contact:
Terry Henry
Think First of Northwest Florida
8383 N Davis Highway
Pensacola, FL 32514
850-494-5097
E-mail: thenry40@aol.com
Judge Rules On Young Drivers
The Honorable Philip Trompeter, a Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judge in Roanoke, VA, is taking underage drinking seriously. Through his courtroom, he is changing community attitudes and teaching teens and parents about the seriousness of this problem. The Commonwealth of Virginia is unique in that it requires juveniles to receive their new drivers’ licenses in a court ceremony, accompanied by their parents. Judge Trompeter has designed a "rite of passage" cere-mony for these new drivers that educates both new drivers and parents about the reasons behind minimum drinking age and zero tolerance laws. He uses his courtroom as a teaching opportunity: to educate teens about the risks and penalties of drinking and driving; and to educate parents about their role in helping their children become safe drivers. In the ceremony, every parent must pledge not to give the license to the new driver until parent and teen have discussed a strategy for dealing with drinking and driving.
Judge Trompeter also believes that the ceremony, which is usually attended by 75 to 100 teens and their parents, helps to ease peer pressure for breaking the law because every new driver has heard, in the presence of peers, the strong consequences for drinking and driving.
Bikes for Special Needs Children
One population that is traditionally not served by bicycle safety education is children who cannot ride regular two-wheel bicycles. To raise awareness and serve children with special needs, the Adapted Bicycle Project at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, IN, is studying the use of alternative bicycles for children with cerebral palsy. Ten children have been selected to receive, at no charge, a three-wheel adapted bicycle that will meet their individual special needs.
The research project will measure physical and self-esteem gains before, during, and after having used an adapted bicycle. Measurements are taken on functional tasks, strength, endurance, mobility, and self-esteem. In addition, the children will attend a safety course designed to teach them basic bicycle safety. To receive the bicycles, the children have agreed to participate in an eight month study on the impact of the bicycles and attend a one day bicycle safety seminar.
At the end of the study, a guide on how to run a similar program and a guide on safety considerations for children with disabilities will be created. For more information contact:
Kentin Gearhart
Adapted Bicycle Program
Community Education Dept.
Riley Hospital for Children
575 West Drive, Room 008
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5272
Phone: 317-274-2964
Fax: 317-278-3221
E-mail: kgearhar@iupui.edu
Aggressive Drivers Are Flagged By Fellow Citizens in Colorado
Colorado’s motorists are helping the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) identify aggressive drivers through a special phone number. Motorists who see aggressive drivers can call "CSP" on their cellular phone and report the vehicle license plate number. A CSP computer tracks the incoming calls, and when three complaints have been received for the same vehicle, the computer generates a letter advising the vehicle owner of the complaints. Several jurisdictions have implemented similar programs. For more information, contact:
Captain Steve Smee
Colorado State Patrol, Public Affairs
700 Kipling Street
Denver, CO 80215
303-239-4532
"Witness Volunteers" Help Nail Red Light Runners in Anchorage
The number one complaint the Anchorage (Alaska) police department heard from its citizens was red light running. The department had its own concern about the problem: the large number of tickets for red light running that were being contested. So the police department asked the community to channel their frustration to help decrease the number of contested tickets.
In addition to city leaders doubling the fine for red light running, the department asked for volunteers to undergo a brief training and then to sit with an officer in a spotter car to help document violations. When a motorist runs a light, the spotter car radios the vehicle’s description to chase vehicles on the other side of the intersection. The police hope that with both a police officer and a citizen as witnesses to the infraction, the number of contested tickets will decrease. The response to the request for volunteers was overwhelming, with more than 100 responses within the first few days.
The program was begun in early 1999 and will be evaluated after a few months of operation. Anchorage Safe Communities is one of the organizations supporting the program. For more information, contact:
Ron Perkins
Anchorage Safe Communities
P.O. Box 210736
Anchorage, AK 99521
907-929-3941
