Idaho high schoolers invited to help make roads safer

November 3, 2016

Idaho high school students are encouraged to use technology to help make roads safer through the National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology distracted-driving safety messaging challenge going on through November 18. Students can submit social media posts and/or a short video to help spotlight the issue of distracted driving. The competition has a $750 top prize, and a scholarship offer from the University of Idaho’s College of Engineering. For more information about the competition, including submission instruction, please visit: www.uidaho.edu/itd-comp. Last year, there were nearly 5,500 distracted driving crashes in Idaho, resulting in 51 fatalities and 425 serious injuries. In the last five years, the totals are staggering: nearly 25,000 crashes, with 215 fatalities and more than 1,900 serious injuries. It is a persistent problem with youthful drivers. Nationwide, six out of every 10 teen crashes involve driver distraction, which is characterized as an manual, visual or cognitive habit that take a driver’s hands off the wheel, eyes off the road, or mind off the important task of driving.