General Casualty Insurance Companies invites Dane County teens and their parents to attend Traffic Safety Night, a free pizza dinner and educational program promoting safe driving, Sept. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel (517 Grand Canyon Drive) in Madison. The Sun Prairie insurer is hosting the program, along with Entercom Radio Group and CESA 2.
The goal of Traffic Safety Night is to educate parents and teens and encourage them to talk to each other about safe driving. Speakers at the interactive program include representatives from: the Dane County Sheriff’s department, who will address issues related to alcohol and driving; CESA 2, explaining graduated licensing laws; and General Casualty, discussing insurance rates for teen drivers and the impact of alcohol and other traffic violations.
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is a growing problem among Dane County teens. In 2005, more than 15 percent of teens reported they’ve ridden in a vehicle with another teen under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at least once in a 30-day period, an increase from the 7 percent of teens who reported this occurrence in 2000. The findings come from the Dane County Youth Assessment, a survey of seventh through twelfth grade students in Dane County school districts, conducted every five years by K12 Associates, LLC and the Dane County Youth Commission. The 2005 survey reports another 5 percent of surveyed teens drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in 30 days.
Traffic Safety Night will begin with a free pizza dinner, followed by speaker presentations and an opportunity for parents and teens to develop personalized responsible-driving contracts. The contract outlines the teen’s driving responsibilities and the consequences if those responsibilities are not met, encouraging them to discuss these issues before problems develop. A radio personality from WOLX-FM will emcee the event and give away prizes donated by General Casualty.
General Casualty has sponsored a similar traffic safety program for Sun Prairie High School teens since 2001. This year the company decided to expand Traffic Safety Night into a county-wide program, thanks to a partnership with Entercom and CESA 2. Nearly 700 invitations to attend the program were sent to local families with teens who recently completed, are currently enrolled or will be enrolled in the CESA 2 driver education program. The event is also being promoted on WOLX-FM.
“Traffic Safety Night has become a valuable resource for Sun Prairie parents and teens, helping open up dialogue about driving and responsibilities before they become an issue for families,” said Hollie Bowker, General Casualty corporate relations manager. “We wanted to expand our traffic safety program to all Dane County teens and parents because every year more area communities lose young lives to traffic accidents.”
Parents and teen drivers interested in attending Traffic Safety Night should RSVP by Sept. 19 by calling (608) 825-5991. Please provide your name, phone number and the number of people attending.
For more information please contact Anne M. Smith.