LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Students at 38 Michigan high schools will have the opportunity to become better, safer drivers by participating in the “Strive for a Safer Drive” (S4SD) program.
S4SD, a peer-led traffic safety campaign, aims to reduce fatal crashes involving teens.
According to data provided by the Michigan State Police, in 2020, there were 473,443 licensed drivers aged 15 to 20, which represented 6.7 percent of all Michigan drivers.
However, they accounted for 7.3 percent of all traffic deaths in Michigan, with 51.9 percent of those deaths being the driver. Inexperience and risk-taking behavior are the primary factors contributing to teen-driver fatalities.
In its 11th year, S4SD is a public-private partnership between Ford Motor Company Fund’s Driving Skills for Life program and the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).
The program encourages teens to talk with their peers and their communities about making safe-driving choices.
The participating S4SD high schools for the 2021-22 school year, by county, are:
- Allegan – Martin High School, Otsego High School
- Barry – Lakewood High School
- Bay/Arenac – Bay-Arenac Career Center
- Berrien – Brandywine High School
- Branch – Coldwater High School
- Calhoun – Athens Jr/Sr High School, Harper Creek High School
- Clare – Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District
- Eaton – Grand Ledge High School
- Genesee – Grand Blanc High School
- Macomb – Cousino High School, Dakota High School, Lake Shore High School
- Mason – West Shore Education Service District – Career & Technical Education
- Midland – Dow High School, Meridian Early College High School
- Monroe – Dundee High School
- Oakland – Berkley High School, Holly High School, Lake Orion High School
- Ontonagon – Ontonagon Area Schools
- Presque Isle – Posen High School
- Saginaw – Freeland High School, Swan Valley High School
- Sanilac – Croswell-Lexington High School, Peck Community Schools
- St. Clair – Anchor Bay High School, Memphis Sr. High School, Port Huron Northern High School, Yale High School
- Tuscola – Vassar High School
- Washtenaw – Dexter High School, Greenhills High School, Skyline High School
- Wayne – Fordson High School, Plymouth High School, Woodhaven High School
As part of the S4SD program, each school receives $1,000, which students use to create a teen-led campaign that will educate their classmates and community about various traffic safety topics
Those topics include speeding, seat belts, and impaired, distracted, nighttime and winter driving.
Schools will submit videos or PowerPoint presentations outlining their campaigns.
The top-five schools judged to have winning campaigns will receive cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500.
Since the 2011 creation of S4SD, 176 different Michigan high schools have participated in the program. The OHSP has partnered with the Transportation Improvement Association to coordinate activities of the S4SD program.
For more information about S4SD, please visit Michigan.gov/S4SD.
