This May, Driven to Protect is leading the way in promoting National Youth Traffic Safety Month in Virginia. From the engineers developing the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) technology in the lab, to the parents and educators teaching students about safe driving across Virginia – it takes all of us working together to make Virginia roads as safe as possible. And we believe that our joint efforts will lead to a world without drunk driving.

In Virginia alone, drunk driving contributed to 247 crashes in 2021. Although Virginia has a zero-tolerance policy for those younger than the drinking age of 21; drivers under age 21 can be convicted of illegal consumption of alcohol even with a blood alcohol level less than 0.08%. It’s important to start the conversation with teens early – so they can avoid the life-altering, or even life-ending, effects of drunk driving.

We hope you’ll take the time this month to spread the word that May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month. You can download the materials below, or click here to see social content you can share directly through your accounts. In addition, we invite you to take the following actions to get involved:

• Spread the word:Share our social content throughout the month – or create your own content about why you want to see a future without drunk driving and tag @DrvnToProtectVA!Download the materials below or click here to share.
• Visit the Discovery Hub: Inspire students by bringing our STEM-based virtual learning modules into your own classroom – from hands-on projects to a fun Kahoot quiz. Visit the Discovery Hub to get access to all of our resources. You can also find the learning modules on Virtual Virginia.
• Update your network: Send an e-newsletter or post a blurb on your website. Materials can be found alongside our social content here.
• Plan an event: Interested in a guest speaker, a hands-on demonstration, or field trip for your students? Email e-learning@actsautosafety.org to start the conversation about other ways to integrate Driven to Protect into your classrooms, driver education trainings, or health and safety presentations.
• Stay in-the-know: Follow @DrvnToProtectVA on Twitter for more information about the technology and traffic safety in Virginia.

View and download Youth Traffic Safety Month social graphics