The Impact Teen Drivers Club held its first student safe driving event to teach responsible behaviors behind the wheel.
Impact Teen Drivers is a club that focuses on spreading awareness about distracted driving and discourages teens from driving under the influence. At the event, which was sponsored by Three Peaches Gelato, the club spread its message through a safe driving pledge.
“We are being sponsored by Three Peaches Gelato, so we’re out here encouraging people to sign our safe driving pledge,” senior Wavey Hodge, Impact Teen Drivers vice president, said. “We’re just trying to spread awareness for safe driving.”
The club’s event at Three Peaches Gelato was its first outside of Midtown. The club is actively working to expand and host similar events in the future.
“It’s great for us to get outside of the school and connect with the local community,” Mary Van Atta, club adviser, said. “This is our first event that’s not school based … so, we are letting people who are not necessarily students at Midtown or parents at Midtown know about Impact Teen Driving, being safe drivers and about what we do.”
Hodge said the club also aims to create original projects that help bring awareness to distracted driving.
“[The goal] is to educate teens on how dangerous distracted driving is, and really making them understand that it’s not just getting on your phone; it’s having the music too loud or talking with your friends; it’s eating; it’s having your mind on school and not on the road,” Hodge said. “So, just making sure they have a clear image of what [distracted driving] is and how dangerous it is.’
Kendra Bauser, Three Peaches Gelato owner, believes it is important to support the local community and shine light on the serious impacts of distracted driving.
“Because we are so close to the school and because we have a place where you can come and meet with your friends, it just sort of makes sense to have all kinds of school-run events and meetings here,” Bauser said. “I think that it’s a great place for something like [Impact Teen Drivers] because we’re also very supportive of [the local community] … I want to help out any way I can, especially for something important like [Impact Teen Drivers]. ”
Diana Jachman, a 2024 graduate, brought Impact Teen Drivers to Midtown last year.
Karis Stewart, senior and the club’s president, said the club is working to gain new members and reach out to other schools and communities.
“We’re very new,” Stewart said. “We started last year. So, you’ve mainly seen us do things at lunch or passing out Smarties for people who’ve had their seatbelts. This year, I really want to expand that and not only be doing events, but doing stuff that reaches out to the community. That is why we started this; it is a little school kickoff and then we are going to have pledges and all of our regular stuff.”
Since the club’s message is coming from teen drivers, the impact is greater, Bauser said.
“Because [Impact Teen Drivers] is a bunch of peers, it’s a bunch of other teens that are spreading that message,” Bauser said. “I think [students] are probably more receptive to messages that come from people your own age, and you don’t feel like it’s not cool.”
Van Atta believes the club is significant because it teaches students how to make changes in their daily lives.
“A club like this is particularly important because it’s directly relevant to our student body,” Van Atta said. “We have students who are passengers; we have students who are drivers; so, when kids are out driving or when they are being passengers in cars, they can be empowered to make a change in their immediate situation.”
Stewart said the club aims to change students’ understanding of how to be a safe driver. She believes spreading awareness about the dangers of distracted driving is important.
“[Our main] takeaways are taking safety more seriously, and not only as a driver, but also a passenger,” Stewart said. “Being extra cautious if people are making reckless decisions when you are in a vehicle and also making sure that people spread that awareness are ways that we can reach as many kids as possible. No matter how young they are or how old they are, it’s always important to know and understand driving.”
