COLUMBIA – Students from seven Missouri high schools will participate in a mock DWI crash during the TRACTION – teens taking action to prevent traffic crashes, youth traffic safety leadership training conference in Columbia July 22-24. Assisting in the mock crash will be Columbia Fire Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Police Department, MU Ambulance Service and Parker-Millard Funeral Home.
WHO: Students from the following seven high schools: Archie, Harrisonville, East Newton, Odessa, Marionville, Madison and Branson.
WHAT: TRACTION – teens taking action to prevent traffic crashes, Youth Traffic Safety Leadership Training Mock DWI Crash.
WHEN: Friday, July 23, 2021, 10:45 a.m.
WHERE: Holiday Inn Executive Center, Columbia, Mo.
WHY: Many substance-impaired drivers are under the age of 21. From 2018-2020, there were 47 fatal crashes and 126 serious injury crashes involving a substance-impaired driver under the age of 21. There were 53 people killed and 176 seriously injured in these crashes.
TRACTION – teens taking action to prevent traffic crashes, is a statewide program sponsored by the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Cape Girardeau Police Department committed to empowering youth to promote safe driving habits while preventing underage drinking, drinking and driving, driver inattention and promoting safety belt usage.
After an initial training session, TRACTION youth create and implement action plans for school and community activities in an effort to reduce unsafe driving habits and the death and serious injury resulting from traffic crashes.
TRACTION is available to all schools in Missouri. For more information about how your school can become involved in this program call 1-800-800-BELT (2358).
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