This week was National Teen Safety Driver week. Knowing facts about teen drivers could save a life. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death to teenagers ages 15 to 18 years old in the United States. Traffic Enforcement Officer Vanderhoff assisted School Resource Officer Olson at the Tillamook High School this week. They instructed students on the dangers of texting and driving, distracted driving and impaired driving. Students were able to participate in a controlled environment driving course where they could see first hand the dangers of making poor choices. Students were able to successfully drive the course with no distractions, then with distractions, then texting and driving, and then with simulated impaired driving goggles. As you can tell by some of the pictures, there were many traffic cones that made the ultimate sacrifice this week. Although the students had a lot of fun and laughed at each other running over the traffic cones, we believe a clear message was portrayed to the students.
The students acknowledged how distracted driving definitely impeded their ability to safely drive and at the end of the day students were able to sign an agreement stating they would not text and drive, that they would be a good passenger and speak out about hazards and that they would encourage friends and family to drive phone-free. We would like to thank the Tillamook School District for partnering with the Tillamook Police Department and allowing us the opportunity to help raise awareness and educate students on the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.