Once again our Cougar SADD and VAASA group members had the opportunity to to attend the 3rd annual Massachusetts Safe Driving Summit called “TEENS DRIVE ALIVE”.
Thanks to this years sponsor’s, both lunch and the trip was conveniently at no cost for the students at all.
Three brothers were the conference facilitators: Brian, Matthew, and Timothy Salit. They are juniors at Seekonk High School and have been running the summit for all the time it has existed so far. They constantly work to to educate and inform the state of Massachusetts about the dangers of distracted driving.
This year, the conference was held in the beginning of March at the Hilltop Hotel and Conference Center in Seekonk, Massachusetts.
This day is always full of interaction and information for students to take back to their schools, that is why priority is given to sophomores and juniors first.
Two of the many speakers at the event this year were:
Dr. Paul Achley- He is a professor of psychology at the University of Kansas and the director of the Cognitive Psychology Program. He has worked to dispel the myths about distracted driving with his professional research. His research focuses on issues related to perceiving motion, especially as related to dynamic tasks such as control of locomotion and driving. He is a leader in distracted driving education around the country and has presented his findings around the country.
Joel Feldman- A partner of the Philadelphia law firm of Anapol Schwartz and focuses his practice on distracting driving and also has a master’s degree in counseling. Following the death of his daughter Casey by a distracted driver, he has worked to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. He is the creator of EndDD.org. “End Distracted Driving,” has produced a number of PSA’s including one for the U.S. Department of Transportation that is used across the country in various programs. He is a member of the US DOT Distracted Driving Strategic Leadership Committee. Working with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Mr. Feldman created a distracted driving presentation that has been seen by teens across the country over the past two years. He regularly speaks at high school’s, college’s, safety conferences and businesses about distracted driving.
The students came back to school in time for dismissal with a box full of magnets and other trinkets from their trip.
Article and Photos by Jessica Martineau and Colleen Judge