Teens participate in free driving safety event in Bismarck
For Immediate Release: Jul 31 2024
Bismarck, ND – Vision Zero hosted a free, one-day safety event yesterday for 125 drivers ages 14-18 at the VFW Sports Center in Bismarck.
Vision Zero Driving Skills for Success gave teens the opportunity to drive through a closed course with various types of distractions, view the consequences of not wearing a seat belt through the rollover simulator and experience virtual simulators that focused on impaired and distracted driving prevention. Each scenario allowed the driver to feel or witness the real-life effect their choices can have in a controlled environment.
Other educational stations included teaching teens how to parallel park and what to do if their vehicle gets a flat tire through a car care clinic. In addition, drivers also had the opportunity to participate in the North Dakota Safety Council’s (NDSC) Alive at 25 defensive driving course.
In 2022 in North Dakota, teen drivers accounted for 6% of all licensed drivers but were behind the wheel in nearly 16% of all crashes. Teen drivers in North Dakota were involved in 11% of fatal crashes for the same period. Because of these statistics, it is important to continually educate teen drivers and provide them with opportunities to enhance their driving skills to move toward the goal of Vision Zero: eliminating fatalities and serious injuries on North Dakota roadways.
This safety event was in partnership with the North Dakota Department of Transportation, NDSC Alive at 25, North Dakota Parks & Recreation, ABATE of ND, Vision Zero Outreach Coordinators, Bismarck Police Department, Mandan Police Department, Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department, Morton County Sheriff’s Office, McLean County Sheriff’s Office, Ward County Sheriff’s Department, North Dakota Highway Patrol, Puklich Chevrolet, ND Motor Carriers Association, Elite Driving School, Safe Kids Bismarck-Mandan and Ace 24 Hour Towing.
For more information on the Vision Zero traffic safety initiative, visit VisionZero.ND.gov.
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