Pinson students attend driver safety summit

Students from Pinson Valley High School attended the “UR KEYS 2 DRV” Teen Driver Safety Summit on Oct. 12. The one-day interactive event was held at the Oxford Civic Center.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Teen drivers have crash rates three times those of drivers 20 and older per mile driven. However, teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable, and a statewide coalition is working with students throughout the state to address safe driving habits.

At UR KEYS 2 DRV, students heard from speakers and rotated among sessions led by safety experts from Children’s of Alabama, State Farm, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, Safe Kids Worldwide, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Alabama Sports Festival Foundation.

Safety-related topics that were discussed included the Alabama Graduated Driver License Law, drinking and driving, texting and driving and other distractions. A driving simulator provided a valuable hands-on learning experience and a simulated trauma showed students what happens when a victim from a car crash is brought to the emergency room.

A highlight of the day was a presentation by Mike Lutzenkirchen, executive director of the Lutzie 43 Foundation, an organization that aims to develop the character of young athletes and their coaches. Lutzenkirchen founded the organization in honor of his 23-year-old son, Philip, who played football for Auburn University and was a passenger in a fatal car crash in 2014 in which alcohol played a role.

Submitted by Rachel Higgins.