Oklahoma Union FCCLA Students Lead Efforts in Ending Teen Distracted Driving
“I took the Oklahoma Challenge and I Promise Not to Text and Drive!” This personal promise was one of many solutions put into action for the Oklahoma Union team of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) who recently traveled to Owasso, Okla., for a leadership conference on the dangers of distracted driving. MacKenzie Sunday, President; Gus Lowrey, 1st Vice President; McKenzie Miner, VP of Leaders In Action; Aubrey Biggs, VP of Career Connection;, Rylee Seely, VP of Members; Emma Bowers, VP of Leaders In Action; Brenna Ray, Member, accompanied by Mrs. Haddox, Adviser, joined other FCCLA groups from across Oklahoma to develop awareness plans for their local schools and communities on the timely issue of distracted driving.
"The Oklahoma Challenge is unique because it encourages teens to address distracted driving in their community through peer education and leadership," said Richard Coberg, Ph.D., Founder of the Oklahoma Challenge Project. "We are proud to be working with Oklahoma's Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) to bring that solution to our state."
According to Coberg, research shows young people are the key in changing the habits of their peers. A recent survey found 44 percent of teen drivers responded that they would be thankful if a passenger complained about their texting while driving and 78 percent said they’re likely not to text and drive if friends tell them it’s wrong. In addition, 90 percent of teens and adults surveyed said they’d stop texting while driving – if someone in the car just asked.
The goal of the Oklahoma Challenge is to reduce the numbers of deaths and injuries throughout the state due to distracted driving. While at the recent FCCLA conference, local students learned more about the growing problem of distracted driving, current laws against texting and driving and ways in which they can develop a plan to raise awareness and change behavior around the issue in their community.
“This program provides a unique opportunity for FCCLA students as it empowers them to address the issue of distracted driving in their schools through creativity and leadership,” said Mrs. Haddox, Adviser
Speaking at this year’s event was Shawn Irie, whose wife and two grandchildren were killed by a distracted driver on March 18, 2017. A strong advocate for safe driving, Irie works to educate others about the dangers of texting and driving through his nonprofit, Put It Down. In addition to hearing from several experts, event attendees were treated to lunch, courtesy of the Oklahoma National Guard.
Each day nine people are killed in crashes involving a distracted driver. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 3,477 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, with an additional 391,000 injured in 2015. Furthermore, a 2015 survey by the CDC also revealed that 42 percent of high school students who drove in the past 30 days reported sending a text or email while driving.
"Most people do not realize the enormity of the distracted driving epidemic, which disproportionally hurts and kills young drivers." Linda Terrell, Oklahoma Challenge Director said. “The problem is even more serious in Oklahoma, where traffic crashes accounts for 44 percent of all teen deaths.”
Founded in 1984, the Oklahoma Challenge Project is offered through a grant from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office with financial support from State Farm and delivered through Educational Alternatives, a private non-profit dedicated to youth empowerment. Oklahoma FCCLA serves more than 13,000 members in 406 local chapters located in junior and senior high schools and on technology center campuses. Known as the 'ultimate leadership experience,” FCCLA is a dynamic national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work and societal issues through CareerTech’s Family and Consumer Sciences Education courses.