Minuteman High School to hold Teen Safe Driver Week from Oct. 17-22

By Judy Bass

LEXINGTON – Minuteman High School is partnering with MAPFRE Insurance and W. T. Phelan Insurance in Lexington to hold Teen Safe Driver Week from October 17-22, 2016. The goal is to educate students about the dangers of destructive driving, which includes speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

A variety of activities designed to encourage teens to think about this topic and talk about it with their parents are planned to take place during what is also Homecoming Week at Minuteman.

“Our goal with this initiative is to educate students about the hazards and consequences of unsafe driving,” said Minuteman Assistant Principal Brian Tildsley, who is helping to coordinate this effort. “By offering this week-long program, we hope to alleviate risky behaviors and help our teenagers to make wise decisions around driving in the future.”

Scheduled activities at Minuteman focusing on this theme will include the following:

Monday, October 17 - Teen Safe Driver Survey and Contract (homeroom completion)

Friday, October 21 - Teen Safe Driver Survey and Contract (homeroom debrief)

Monday, October 17 – 21 Display of crashed car (in front of school)

Friday, October 21 - Display of crashed car (moving to football field)

Saturday, October 22 – 12:00 pm – Football game - Minuteman vs. Greater Lowell Technical High School. W.T. Phelan will have a tent/booth along with MAPFRE and will have cider, apple cider donuts, literature and giveaways promoting safe driving habits.

The Teen Safe Driver Survey and the Teen Driver Agreement are pivotal elements of Teen Safe Driver Week. The survey asks teens about key subjects such as the safe operation and general responsibilities of operating a motor vehicle, the significance of driver experience, driver impairment influence and the effect of distractions on someone who is behind the wheel.

After teens complete the survey and have talked it over thoroughly with their parents, they all sign the Teen Driver Agreement which signifies that they discussed the Teen Driver Survey in detail, agreed on the family’s expectation of what is considered good driving behavior, acknowledged areas of driving responsibility and set conditions, limitations, and consequences to minimize potential driving risks.

By taking the survey, signing the agreement and returning a completion certificate to Minuteman, teens become eligible for a chance to attend an In Control Crash Prevention Course free of charge. According to In Control’s web site, it is “a non-profit organization that offers the nation’s first state certified crash prevention training to drivers of all ages.”

Dan Strollo, Executive Director of In Control, said, “In the world of aviation, safety is cool. In the world of driving, it isn’t. Ultimately, it’s up to us, adults and teens, to recognize that there is nothing that takes more teen lives than car crashes. The same way society has shunned smoking, we need to rally around the idea that unsafe behavior of any kind behind that wheel is unacceptable.”

Mr. Strollo continued, “If we keep our heads in the sand, we’re going to keep losing kids and asking ourselves, ‘What could we have done?’ I’m hoping everyone who reads this gets the chance to do all they can so that question is not necessary.”

Minuteman was established in the 1970s as one of more than two dozen regional-vocational technical high schools in Massachusetts. Over the years, the school has distinguished itself by building a reputation for excellence. Minuteman students consistently excel on the larger stage and have won numerous awards at state and national competitions. Minuteman challenges all students to revolutionize their high school expectations by aspiring to their full potential, accelerating their learning, and achieving success in the 21st-century global community.