Events

With local support, Shepherd High School could win $100,000

Posted: Sep 13, 2012 2:35 PM by Q2 News
Updated: Sep 13, 2012 2:35 PM

The exciting news is that Shepherd High School could win $100,000.

The not-as-exciting, yet soberingly important news, is that car crashes are the number one cause of death for American teens. And the first year of independent driving yields the highest risk for crashes.

That's why State Farm is putting on "Celebrate My Drive" on Saturday. More than 300 events will simultaneously occur across the nation. The closest one is at Shepherd High School.

Hosted by insurance agent Bonnie Dedmore, there will be mix of fun events and booths sponsored by law enforcement and fire organizations. It's free and open to the entire community.

Prizes will be awarded, and Shepherd High School could win a $100,000 grant. To win that grant, they need community members to vote for them at the Celebrate My Drive website: http://celebratemydrive.com/

Although the past decade has brought a decrease in the number of teen-driver crashes in Montana, Yellowstone County saw a 29 percent increase in teen-driver crashes from 2000-2009.

Some of the biggest risk factors include inexperience, speed, distractions, fatigue and alcohol use. The Montana Office of Public Instruction notes that these factors cause crashes, but injuries and death come from lack of seatbelt use.

Here are some interesting statistics from data used by the Montana Office of Public Instruction:

At the time of the survey, percentage of teens who had engaged in the following activity in the past 30 days:
- Used a cell phone while driving: 53.3%
- Texted while driving: 50.2%
- Did not always wear a seat belt when DRIVING a car 39.0%
- Did not always wear a seat belt when RIDING in a car: 57.3%
- Rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol: 26.1%
- Drove when drinking alcohol: 10.6%
Text messaging while driving increases the risk of a crash by 23 times
At the time of the survey, percentage of teens who texted while driving in the past 30 days:
- 9th grade: 23.5 percent
- 10th grade: 45.2 percent
- 11th grade: 63 percent
- 12th grade: 71.5 percent
Over 500 vehicle occupants aged 15-19 were severely injured from 2008-2010. Of those, only about 200 were wearing seat belts.
View the presentation these statistics were taken from

One of the State Farm's goals is to encourage positive reinforcement techniques in driver education, as opposed to scare tactics. The idea is to encourage positive behavior, instead of showing the consequences of dangerous activities.