2018 Operation Driver Excellence Event at Aloha Stadium
Over 100 high school students and their parents participated in the 30th Annual “Operation Driver Excellence” teen driver safety event at Aloha Stadium on April 14.
The free community event – organized by the State Department of Education and sponsored by DTRIC Insurance and Par Hawaii – was open to any interested high school student or parent to learn about traffic safety tips and resources. A similar event was held on Maui earlier this year.
The teen driver safety program, now in its 30th year of existence, provided hands-on experiences to high school students on good driving habits. Students got behind the wheel to maneuver various driving obstacle courses, while learning about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens each year, with six teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 losing their lives each day, according to national statistics. In fact, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than older drivers to be involved in a fatal crash.
“Driver inexperience, distracted driving, speeding and other forms of dangerous driving behavior are the leading cause of serious crashes among teens,” said Jan Meeker, resource teacher for the State Department of Education’s Driver and Traffic Safety Education program. “The good news is that motor vehicle crashes are preventable. Proper instruction on safe driving through driver education programs and events like Operation Driver Excellence can help prevent these tragedies.”
Mahalo to the State Department of Education, as well as the participating organizations and vendors for another successful event in teaching our teenagers to drive safely and with ALOHA!