Almost four months after a vehicle race took Righetti senior Breanna Rodriguez’s life, the school played host to two assemblies and one workshop dedicated to educating attendees on safe driving.
The first event featured the assemblies titled “What Do You Consider Lethal,” which were held from 8:30 to 10:20 am. inside the gym. About 1,000 students from all grade levels attended each assembly. The second event was a parent and teen workshop that included practical approaches to sharing the information throughout a household.
The assemblies and workshop were presented by Impact Teen Drivers—an organization created in response to the large number of young deaths that CHP officers respond to. Impact works to spread awareness and educate teens, their parents, and community members about responsible driving with the goal of reducing the number of injuries and deaths suffered by teens as a result of distracted driving and poor decision making.
“Rather than trying to scare teens, Impact Teen Drivers empowers teens to make good decisions and give them the information and tools to do so,’’ said Principal Karen Rotondi in a press release from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.
In addition to Impact Teen Drivers, officers from the Santa Barbara County CHP and the Santa Maria Police Department also spoke at the assemblies, explaining laws such as provisional license rules and when teens can legally drive. Each guest speaker focused on the responsibility of passengers and drivers, and how vital it is to be vocal about distracted driving. Videos and testimonials from those who have been hurt in car accidents—drivers, passengers, and relatives—were shown via video.
“The information our students received about distracted driving was very powerful. When it comes to distracted driving, young people are most likely to text and talk behind the wheel. We don’t want any of our students to become a statistic,” said Kenny Klein, a district spokesperson.
Righetti’s Parent Teacher Student Association sponsored the two daytime assemblies and the evening workshop.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 7, 2015.