Don't Drive Distracted

As a sophomore at Massapequa High School, I’ve been taking part in our school’s campaign for teen driving safety. It’s part of National Youth Traffic Safety Month. With an interest in art, I decided to dedicate my time to paint a mural focused on teen driving safety. I decided to focus on the negatives about teen driving safety and what not to do when behind the wheel. Just like every other teen that gets their license, they can’t wait to drive to school on their own. They get the new freedoms of going anywhere they want for lunch as well as after school.

My painting showed a teenage girl on her cell phone, putting on her makeup. If a girl is in a rush in the morning of course she is going to take her makeup with her and do it quickly before she meets her peers in school. The point is it’s dangerous! Hopefully my mural will make an impression on my peers and influence them to think smart before they drive.

MHS Students Safe Driving Campaign

Lots of work is being sent in by students. Keep checking the links below for great information:

Movie from the Awareness Assembly



Spanish Language Projects

Drive Responsibly written in Spanish by Michelle S.

Powerpoint Version

Un Accidente Que Ensena by Tori D.

Graduated Driver Licensing

Graduated Drivers Licensing by Andrew F.

Driving and Aging

The Aging Driver by Samantha M.

You can see from the many projects we received about Drinking and Driving and Driving Distractions that teens are thinking about how to be safe on the road. That's great...the more we all think about being safe, the better. We can change the world!!!

Drinking and Driving

The Effect of Drinking and Driving by Brianna B.

A Letter from Brett C.

Don't Drink and Drive by Kristyn V.

A Poem by Kerri O.

Why are Teens the Riskiest Drivers by Kristen S.

You Only Have One Life by Joe M.

Why Drink and Drive Poster by Shonna N.

Drugging and Driving by Jaclyn A.

Designated Driver by Casey M.

Drinking and a Designated Driver by Chris H.

DWI by Jackie B.

Why Drink and Drive Poster by Shonna N.

Don't Drink and Drive by Danielle M.

Drinking and Driving by Ashley C.

Drinking and Driving by Jessica G.

Drinking and Driving Effects by Aly D.

DWI by Lauren M.

Is it Ever Okay to Drink and Drive? by Alissa D.

Don't Drink and Drive by Jessica L.

Drive Sober by Michelle D.

Drinking and Driving by Alissa D.

Smashed = Crashed by Kaitlyn K.

Drinking & Driving by Matt G.

Drinking and Driving by Olivia F.

Driving Distractions

Driving Distractions are Everywhere by Diana I.

Driving Distractions by Samantha I.

Cell Phones and Texting by Linda L.

Driving Distractions by Joe A.

Top Driving Distractions by Nicolette D.

Deadly Distractions while Driving by Samantha M.

Too Many Car Crashes by Jason C.

Texting and Driving by Melissa D.

Driving Distractions are Everywhere by Diana I.

Teenage Driving by Nicole S.

Driving Distractions by Amanda S.

Distractions that Kill by Stephanie Q.

Driving Distractions by Jenna J.

Distracted Driving by Matt S.

Driving Distractions by Michelle C.

Driving Distractions by Emily M.

Driving Distractions by Samantha S.

Driving Distractions by Jennifer F.

Driving Tips

Buckle Up New York! by Fiona M.

Catch up on Zs by Stephanie W.

Innovations in Car Safety by Joey J.

Seatbelt Safety by Liana C.

Seatbelt Use and History by Devon L.

Seatbelt Use and History Flyer by Maura N.

Seatbelt Use by Dan L.

Speed Limits and the Effect on Driving by Stephanie L.

Winter Driving Tips by Kristen H.

Are You Scared to Drive in the Winter? by Rachel D.

Seatbelt Safety by Zach O.

Roadway Safety by Kevin S.

Road Rage by Dominique C.

Seatbelt History by Kevin D.

The Physics of Seat Belts by Patrick M.

Seatbelt Usage by Alayna A.

Teen Driving by Kristen S.

Driving Safety Innovations by Adam S.

Winter Driving Tips by Jaime C.

Seatbelt Safety by Krista B.

Buckle Up! by Agatha L.

Winter Driving by Dan A.

Summer Driving Tips by Anthony M.

Publicity Posters

Thanks to Ms. La Neve's Desktop Publishing class for making posters to advertise the Teen Safe Driving project. These posters were hung in the halls of Massapequa High School during Awareness week and larger-size posters will be displayed in the local Westfield Sunrise Mall.

MHS Awareness Week 2009

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This week is the kickoff for two months of activism to help keep us all safe. If you were able to attend one of the sessions, please post a blog entry letting us know what you learned. Give the SADD Club a shoutout for their terrific work!

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Monday - Theme: Respect

District Attorney's Office: Choices & Consequences (Periods 2 and 3)
11th Grade Assembly

Ms. McQuillan: Coping with Alcohol/Substance Abuse in Your Family (Periods 6 to 9)
Open to all

MHS Students: Navigating the Loss of a Loved One (Periods 5-9)

PSA: Relationship Abuse

Song: "Respect"

Tuesday - Theme: Perseverance

Ms. Burke: Drug Awareness (Periods 3 - 9)

Mr. LaBella: Meditation for Stress Management (Periods 4-9)

YES: Fatal Vision Goggles (Periods 3 - 9)

PSA: Drunk Driving

Song: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

Wednesday - Theme: Responsibility

District Attorney's Office: Choices & Consequences (Periods 2 and 3)
12th Grade Assembly

YES Community Counseling: Suicide Prevention (Periods 1 - 3)
10th and 11th grade only

Ms. Domenech and Key Club: Responsibility in the Community (Periods 7 - 9)

Mr. Asa, Think First Foundation: Thinking First for Wiser Decisions (Periods 6 - 9)

PSA: Marijuana

Song: "Save a Life"

Thursday - Theme: Acceptance

Domestic Violence Coalition: Date Rape (Period 3)

Domestic Violence Coalition: Violence in Relationships (Period 4)

Ms. Burke: Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) (Period 6)

PSA: Teen Pregnancy

Songs: "A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes"

"If You Were Gay (from Avenue Q)" edited

Friday - Theme: Courage

Domestic Violence Coalition: Date Rape (Period 3)

Domestic Violence Coalition: Violence in Relationships (Period 4)

Outreach House: Substance Abuse (Period 3 or 4)

Mineola: Substance Abuse (Periods 6 or 7)

Song: Day of Music

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If you were able to attend one of the sessions, please post a blog entry letting us know what you learned. Give the SADD Club a shoutout for their terrific work!

We envision a website where our research, public service announcements, hopes, and dreams will be published. The work will take many different forms as we enlist as many students as we can in our high school. Some recent suggestions include movies about the physics behind seat belts and/or car crashes, the chemistry of blood alcohol levels, poetry, research on new laws such as graduated licenses, community and school interviews in the form of podcasts and videos, public service announcements, community surveys, press releases, banners, posters, etc. We have enlisted the support of our Asst. Superintendent, principal, department chair people, school webmaster, teachers, club advisors, guidance department and especially the students of Massapequa High School and the world.

We are now at the point of a grassroots campaign to nourish student ideas, create the first projects and the website and begin marketing the campaign. Our initial core group is made up of students who have a variety of friends in different social groups throughout our school. In this way we can enlist a broad base of students. We are considering how we can add a blog or wiki where students can add their own pledge to keep themself and others safe by practicing safe driving. So check back soon for more information to be added to this blog.

The best part of this project is that we have the support of our school community to keep it going from year to year so that we can reach as many of our students as possible and let them add their voice. We are hoping to inspire a tradition in both our main campus (grades 10-12) and our 9th grade campus which total approximately 2600 students. By publishing our work on a website we hope to help teenagers around the world make good life-saving decisions. Our "unveiling" will be in May during National Youth Traffic Safety Month with a but we will begin building the pieces and it will be visible to the world as we build it. The public service announcements will each center on a fact about how to prevent accidents. These will be shown to students during homeroom to stir interest and will end with asking students to participate. We will include the facts in the flyer about car crashes being the number one killer of teens, times of year where they are highest, prom night and how to say no to getting in a car with a drunk driver, etc.

Stay tuned...Next week we begin our campaign with our Awareness Week. Our SADD club has put together a week of assembly programs. Want to get involved? Attend one of the events and report what it was about. Have another idea to spread the word? Contact mhsteendrivingsafety@gmail.com