Drive Smart Colorado

Programs: High school traffic safety challenge and drivers 20 and younger traffic related deaths continue to be the number one killer of teens. To ease this problem on a local level, drive smart colorado created the high school traffic safety challenge. The largest and most successful campaign in drive smart for the past twenty eight years, this peer-to-peer organized campaign takes place annually in the fall. An average of 34 high schools in el paso and teller county (representing 25,000 students and staff members) participate in this important traffic safety educational campaign. Students design a six-week long traffic safety program to fit their schools individual needs. Each school must still fulfill two minimum requirements to complete the challenge (three unannounced safety belt/cell phone observations, and at least one presentation and/or display. The presentation can be flexible and creative, or students could choose from a list of community experts (emergency/first responders, insurance, driving schools etc. ) who volunteer their time to share their knowledge and expertise. The topics range from substance free driving, aggressive driving, seat belt use, to distracted driving and speeding. There are suggested programs and contests that could be added to enhance their campaign such as a creative writing, art poster, social media and video contest that is designed to create more avenues for participation. There are videos available for use in science and health classes or during lunch break. Students have an opportunity to win awards for the school, be creative in their campaign, educate their fellow students and potentially, save lives. Annually, seat belt use by area teens increases an average of 10% and cell phone use decreases by 2% following the high school challenge. The drive smart colorado high school traffic safety challenge serves as a model program for other regions in colorado. Both the allstate foundation and state farm insurance see this program as so important that they have supported the program with grants. In 2017 state farm contributes with money to educate on marijuana impaired driving, distracted driving and seat belt safety. In addition to working with teens, drive smart colorado also educates local university and college students on the dangers of distracted driving as well as the area military installations (air force and army) young drivers.

highway safety programs in el paso, teller and pueblo counties the large undertaking to increase seat belt and child safety seat use in colorado has been a primary task of drive smart colorado since its inception in 1988. Currently drive smart colorado targets three colorado counties (el paso, teller, pueblo) with this life saving education. Drive smart colorado works with community members, law enforcement and local governments in each of the counties to assist in educating the local citizens o

older driver with estimates that by 2030 the us population of people 65 and over will be 72 million, drive smart colorado was asked by the colorado department of transportation to write a grant focusing on the senior driver. Creating a mission to address safe driving and transportation needs of seniors by providing resouces to support independence so they remain integrate members of their community as they transition from drivers to passengers, drive smart staff became national carfit technician