National Teen Driver Safety Week In Woodstock

Thursday, 24 October 2019 06:14

The campaign is run by Parachute, a national injury prevention organization, which will see the Oxford County Injury Prevention Team visit local high schools put on several activities to raise awareness on how young drivers and passengers can stay safe.

WOODSTOCK - Communities across Canada are encouraged to raise awareness during National Teen Driver Safety Week.

The campaign is organized by Parachute, a national injury prevention organization, who has suggested groups organize activities in their local areas.

To help raise awareness on teen driving, the Oxford County Injury Prevention Team has been putting on events at high schools in Woodstock.

Public Health Nurse for Southwestern Public Health Megan Lichti says the events are setup for students over the lunch hour.

"Two of the activities that are suggested by Parachute are positive ticketing and a selfie photo booth. So for the positive ticketing, our Woodstock police partners are in the parking lot and they have tickets that they're giving out to student drivers when they see good behaviour."

An event was held earlier this week at WCI and they'll be going to Huron Park Secondary School today.

In the selfie photo booth, kids can write messages in their own words in chalk to put as their background and they're encouraged to post the photos on social media.

She adds for each school there is a $75.00 gift card that the kids can win. Parachute has also offered a $500.00 gift card as a prize for anyone in Canada who participates in the campaign.

The initiative engages communities across Canada to raise awareness on how young drivers and passengers can remain safe.

Lichti says teen drivers don't have experience behind the wheel and youth represent the largest number of drivers who test positive for drugs and alcohol after a fatal collision.

"So we really want to get the message out of knowing what impaired means, and impaired is impaired. And if you are high, don't drive."

She adds this week marks the seventh year for the campaign.

The campaign runs until October 26th.