Final Thoughts

As this competition comes to a close, we would like to present you with a video, recapping some of our thoughts.




Thank you to everyone who followed us on this journey!

Newspaper Article

In the most recent issue of 'The Royal Page', our HHS 'Keep the Drive' Club was featured in an article. HERE IT IS

Patrick Jon Buggy, junior, doesn’t care if you drive cautiously. He doesn’t want to tell people how to live their lives. As president of Keep the Drive Club, however, he wants students to realize the risks they take when they’re behind the wheel.

Keep the Drive Club is a group started by Buggy to promote safer driving habits amongst HHS students. “It’s a lot more important for teens to be aware than cautious. Think about it in terms of safety: Students don’t want to be hurting others,” said Buggy.

Keep the Drive Club is relatively new to HHS. Buggy started the club at the end of the 2007-2008 school year to raise awareness about the things students can do to protect themselves as drivers. The club struggled with spreading its message last year but has found more success by developing demonstrations and projects with blatant reminders of what can happen if teens don’t drive intelligently.

One of the most successful demonstrations occurred before winter break. The club blocked off 14 parking spaces in the student lot with crime scene tape to represent the 14 teen drivers that die each day in accidents across America. Students acknowledged the demonstration in numbers previously unseen to club. “Hopefully, we influenced teens’ driving habits that day,” said club member Luc Rouffaud, junior.

Buggy cites that day as one of the most successful in club history but wishes that more students would recognize the club’s work. “We have had some impact and our message has been out there,” said Buggy, “but I’m not sure if the student body has heard it.”

One way the club has expounded on its’ message is by making the club more visible. The club has dabbled with a blog, updating followers on upcoming events such as the drunk driving exhibition held on April 27 at HHS. “We’re basically trying to raise awareness about how students can protect themselves while raising awareness about issues surrounding drunk driving,” said club member Jack Anderson, junior.

After the club’s experimentation, Buggy thought that Keep the Drive was prepared to venture into competition. With the aid of the club’s vice president, Nate Guggenberger, junior, Buggy developed an activities plan that the group would undertake and submitted it to the Act Out Loud Competition, a contest pitting schools’ promotions of safe driving efforts against each other. Sixty-four schools initially submitted plans to the competition, and HHS was selected as one of twenty national finalists in late March.

Despite all the work Keep the Drive has done, Guggenberger sees an opportunity for HHS to better understand the risks involved with driving. “There is always room to get better. Fourteen teens die every day in car accidents and you don’t want that to be one of your friends,” said Guggenberger.

Survey Results!

During our day of activities last week, our club had people fill out surveys regarding driving statistics.
About 200 people filled out our survey

What we found out was shocking.

• 80% of drivers admit to driving over the speed limit

• 65% of drivers have texted or talked on their cell phones while driving(on a side note, a new law was passed in MN, so texting is ILLEGAL behind the wheel, regardless of age or experience! Talking on the phone is illegal for minors, unless it is a 911 emergency call)

• 63% have danced to their favorite song while driving

When asked about their friends driving, we found some interesting information as well

• almost half of all surveyed wish their friends would slow down

• OVER half of those surveyed wish they would Keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, as well as to be more 'in control' of the car

We found it very interesting that so many of the drivers speed, while they also wish their friends would slow down.

Your perspective of driving changes when you aren't the one behind the wheel, doesn't it?

The Big Day!!! (Part 2)

After the great presentation, everyone resumed class as normal.

However, at lunch time, there were a bunch of other activities to participate in.

First off, our club set up a table by the lunch room, and had a survey that we used to collect statistics about the student body. Using candy as an incentive for participation, we recieved hundreds of surveys! We'll post the results once we tally them up later this week! Stay Tuned!

Also set up next to us was a group call PACT (positive alternative choices for teens). They had a survey to fill out regarding the presentation earlier in the day. As incentive to fill out the survey they had a raffle! There were a bunch of great prizes, from an ipod to some really cool seatbelt belts! (both of which our club donated)



And next to the PACT table was an informational one by the police department!

Next to that, were the "drunk goggles". Students would put them on, and try to walk a straight path on a taped down line. The goggles really make it seem as if you are intoxicated, and help you realize what a dumb decision it would be to drive drunk.


And finally, the police also brought along TWO squad cars that were crashed into when they were stopped on the side of the road. One of the state troopers at the presentation was the one who was in one of the cars that was crashed into, so she was there to tell her story.



Also, there was a nice pickup truck that was seized from a drunk driver by the police. Yes they can do that! I heard from one officer that they are in the process of seizing a nice new Hummer!


Our lunchtime activities got great responses, and many visitors, for it was right outside the lunchroom!

All in all, this day was a great success, and had a good impact on the students.

The Big Day!!! (Part 1)

So, after multiple meetings with administration, police officers and state troopers, our big day was finally here! We'll give you a chronological look at the day!

as an fyi, this Saturday is our school's prom, so we targeted this week for the activities.

First, all of the Seniors in the school went to the theater for an assembly. Sophomores and Juniors were in their Royal Links (Homeroom) classrooms. In the auditorium, the Seniors were given a presentation on drunk driving. Sophomores and Juniors were watching a live feed of the presentation on their individual room's TV.

First off, an officer of the Minnetonka Police Department introduced what was going to be shown. Second, everyone viewed a news clip done by the Fox 9 news investigators. The piece is titled 'Room to Live'. (view it by clicking the link) An investigative reporter goes all around the state, and climbs into cars which were involved in crashes where somebody died. All of these people were not wearing their seatbelts. The point she makes is that there is always 'room to live' in these cars, so it is crucially important to wear your seatbelt!

Next up, a state trooper came on stage and talked a little about her job. She is in a unit that goes to all the fatal crashes in the area, so she has seen many tragic scenes. She introduced a video that was created by the state troopers. It was a much more personal, and even graphic video. It highlighted a group of people's stories about traffic crashes. The film was very moving and it really gave a wide perspective on things. It displayed a wide range of emotions regarding their crashes. One guy took total responsibility for his actions, while another girl was selfish and focused on her penalties, and how her friends weren't wearing seatbelts.

Overall, the presentation went really well. Aside from some technical difficulties which left the classrooms with very quiet sound, everything went according to plans.

Distraction PSA

Heres a PSA three of us on the crew put together a while back that is aimed towards helping teens with distracted driving. It aired on TV 4 times.

Countdown!

Ladies and Gentlemen, in 7 days we will be having our grand day of activity.
The entire school will be involved, and we're collaborating with the State Troopers, City Police department, and other organizations and clubs within the school district to put this on.
It should be fantastic!