News
Mohonasen High School's "Mock DWI" wins national competition for promoting youth safe driving: Allstate and National Organizations for Youth Safety award $1,000 to school
August 2007
Each year in the U.S., car crashes take the
lives of nearly 6,000 teens and injure approximately 300,000 – many
seriously and for life. To raise additional and ongoing awareness of
this critical issue, National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS)
teamed up with Allstate Insurance Company to award $1,000 to
Mohonasen High School for excellence in implementing a program that
helps bring safe teen driving to the forefront in the Rotterdam
area.
Mohonasen High School joins 49 other youth organizations and
communities nationwide, sharing $50,000 in total grant money. The
request for award entries kicked off May as the first
-ever
National Youth Traffic Safety Month.
Mohonasen High School won the award for their innovative campaign
promoting safe teen driving. The project, entitled “Mock DWI,”
featured two events designed by Rotterdam Police Sgt. Thomas Culbert,
a School Resource Officer assigned to Mohonasen High School. The
first part was a Mock DWI Crash, followed by a presentation given by
a victim of an actual DWI accident. The objective was to
demonstrate, before prom and graduation season, the possible
outcomes of combining drinking and driving, including property
damage, arrest, injury and death. Approximately 1,200 students in
grades nine through 12 took part in the Mock DWI project.
Culbert says that discussions have begun concerning the best use of
the $1,000 prize, but hinted at using it for more DWI education and
prevention activities. This year marked the fourth year of Mock DWI,
and it is likely to continue in future years, especially since there
were no alcohol-related accidents during Mohonasen High School’s
prom and graduation seasons.
The programs entered in this first-ever competition were varied,
ranging from online communities with more than 16,000 teens sharing
stories and advice, to a group that staged mock car crashes so
fellow teens could witness the devastating results of a serious
crash firsthand.
“Allstate is committed to promoting safe driving and our hope is
that programs such as Mock DWI will engage teens in discussion and
underscore the importance of safe and responsible driving,” said
Julie Baldes, Schenectady Allstate Agent.
As a result of the campaign’s success, NOYS will extend the campaign
into a five year program. For further information, visit
www.noys.org.
“National Organizations for Youth Safety is honored to work with
Allstate and we appreciate the leadership Allstate has shown in
encouraging and rewarding youth leaders who are creating National
Youth Traffic Safety Month projects in their communities,” said
Sandy Spavone, executive director, National Organizations for Youth
Safety.
Parent Involvement
Parents in the Rotterdam, NY area can visit
their local Allstate Agent or www.Allstate.com/teen for resources
and tips on how to talk to their teens about safe driving and engage
their community to create a culture of safe driving. Allstate, in
conjunction with Discovery Education, created an educational DVD for
teens called “Drive It Right.” Allstate also developed a Parent-Teen
Driving Contract
that features key areas for discussion and agreement.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®” slogan, Allstate helps individuals in approximately 17 million households protect what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow through approximately 14,800 exclusive agencies and financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada. Customers can access Allstate products and services such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through Allstate agencies, or in select states at allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®. Encompass® and Deerbrook® Insurance brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through independent agents. The Allstate Financial Group provides life insurance, supplemental accident and health insurance, annuity, banking and retirement products designed for individual, institutional and worksite customers that are distributed through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, financial institutions and broker-dealers.
About National Organizations for Youth Safety
National Organizations for Youth Safety™ (NOYS) is a coalition of national organizations and federal agencies who serve youth and focus on youth safety and health. Through this coalition, NOYS influences more than 80 million young people and their adult advisors. The mission of NOYS is to promote youth empowerment and leadership, and build partnerships that save lives, prevent injuries, and enhance safe and healthy lifestyles among all youth.
