As we pursue our top priority, safety, it's always helpful to know we can count on some terrific partners to lend their energy to our efforts. Project Ignition is one such partner that has a powerful multiplier effect. The program is made up of different high school teams from around the country dedicated to making roadways in their communities safer.
On Monday, I had the opportunity to meet with a small group of students from Project Ignition's ten National Leader Schools, and if these young advocates are any indication, I know our roadways will continue to get safer.
Sponsored by State Farm Insurance and coordinated by the National Youth Leadership Council, Project Ignition supports student-led school campaigns that address teen driver safety. We know from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data that traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. But, through Project Ignition, teens are working to change that.
The students--like Katie Neill of ROWVA High School in Oneida, Illinois, and Amanda Logan of Germantown Academy in Pennsylvania--traveled to Washington, DC, where they shared with each other the strategies that have been effective in changing teen driving behaviors.
Students at Germantown Academy, for example, have been raising awareness about the dangers of texting and driving. Months ago, Amanda's team helped organize a legislative summit where they discussed a possible state texting ban. Since then, the Pennsylvania legislature passed such a ban and Governor Corbett signed it into law.
And in Oneida, Illinois, Katie's group is also concerned with ending distracted driving. With a campaign called "Multi‐TASK: A Thing of the PAST," students at ROWVA High are planning an activity-filled all-day assembly focused on the risks of multitasking while behind the wheel.
I'm happy to have had a chance to meet with the young leaders from Project Ignition. And for all of the other teen drivers or soon-to-become driver, I encourage you to get involved in driver safety. You can find some ways to get involved on our Distraction.gov young driver site.
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