Schools

FTHS Students to Lead State's First Teen Safe Driving Summit

Seniors Bryan Epstein, Kayla Spiegeland, Emily Shapiro and Amanda Berzolla, and sophomores Hailee Perez and Emily Rozansky will lead workshop.

Six members of Freehold Township High School’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Chapter will help lead New Jersey’s first statewide, peer-to-peer Teen Safe Driving Summit, GDL4U: Good Driving for Life, July 15 at Rutgers University’s Busch Campus in Piscataway. 

Incoming seniors Bryan Epstein, Kayla Spiegeland, Emily Shapiro, and Amanda Berzolla, and sophomores Hailee Perez and Emily Rozansky were selected to lead a workshop addressing New Jersey’s Graduated Driver License (GDL) program’s restriction on the use of cell phones and other electronic devices while driving, as well as co-facilitate a workshop on seat belts with SADD Chapter members from nearby Old Bridge High School. 

Designed to help teens stay safe behind the wheel, the summit is sponsored by the New Jersey Teen Safe Driving Coalition, a project made possible by a grant from The Allstate Foundation in partnership with the National Safety Council.  The purpose of the summit is to ensure teens get the facts about the GDL program. Under program’s guidelines, teens holding a probationary license may transport just one passenger unless a parent or guardian is in the vehicle. The program also calls for teens to be off the road between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

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“Our SADD Chapter opted to participate in the summit because it’s the culmination of a year-long effort to spread the safe driving message to our school and community,” said Jamie Rattien, co-advisor of the Freehold Township High School SADD Chapter.  “Our students believe that if they speak out about the dangers of distracted driving, their message will be heard and remembered by their peers as well as teachers, administrators, and members of the community.  And if this saves just one life, the students have made a difference.”

In addition to discussing seat belts and distraction caused by cell phones/texting, teens participating in the summit will also learn how passengers and nighttime driving negatively impact their safety when behind the wheel.

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Social networking, giveaways and an interactive behind-the-wheel driving simulator provided by StreetSafe Driving Academy will wrap up the day-long event. 

Admission to the summit is free, but limited to the first 120 teens (parents and advisors are welcome).  To register, visit ugotbrains.com/registration prior to June 30.


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