The Teens in the Driver Seat Program (TDS) has been highlighted as a best practice in the 2012 Texas Highway Safety Annual Report.
“In the last decade we have worked hard to change the way teens think about driving,” said TDS Director Russell Henk. “It is an honor to be recognized as a best practice by our biggest sponsor.”
Each year, the Texas Department of Transportation Safety (TxDOT) selects a handful of programs to highlight in the report. TxDOT’s best practices are defined as innovative or unique practices to achieve a goal and exceed required performance objectives.
What makes TDS a best practice? According to the report, “TDS is saving lives because young people are driving the program. Every element, every facet, and every refinement of TDS is influenced by young people. The program’s professional staff provides support and direction when appropriate, but the teens are responsible for making it work. With active program elements for junior high school students all the way through college, the breadth of youth reached by the program is also unprecedented and unmatched.”
Other programs highlighted are:
- Texas A&M AgriLife’s Brazos Valley Injury Prevention Coalition,
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Passenger Safety,
- Region 6 Education Service Center School Bus Safety Training 101,
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s Take the Wheel Program, and
- Texas Municipal Police Association’s Reducing Impaired Driving Among Youth: A Statewide Approach.