Miscellaneous
"Teens in the Driver Seat" Wins National Award
October 28, 2006
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has presented TTI's Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) with its National President's Safety Award. The honor was given to TDS team members representing the Texas Department of Transportation and TTI at AASHTO's Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon.
TDS is America's first peer-to-peer safety program for young drivers. It is aimed at alerting teens to the preventable causes of car crashes, the number one killer of teenagers in the U.S., and relies heavily on teens to be directly involved in the development and delivery of important driving safety messages. Local TDS programs are organized and operated by the teenagers themselves at their individual high schools, with guidance and program support provided by TTI and TxDOT.
"This national recognition will go a long way in ensuring the continuing success of Teens in the Driver Seat," said TDS Program Director Russell Henk. "It has been an honor and privilege to lead our team in the effort to save the lives of teenagers. This AASHTO award is the result of a lot of hard work from a lot of people in TTI representing a wide range of disciplines."
TDS is now active in more than half of TxDOT's 25 districts at nearly 60 individual high schools. Dozens of other schools plan to initiate programs this school year. Other agencies beyond Texas and beyond the U.S. are taking steps to implement this innovative program.