KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Washington State Traffic Safety Commission will begin offering their Teen Target Zero courses to schools this school year to higher grade-school students.
The Teen Target Zero program aims to better educate young drivers on multiple topics, such as driving while distracted, the science behind seatbelt safety and education and prevention of drug overdosing.
The program, which was first introduced to Washington schools in 2020, replaced the previous program, “Every Fifteen Minutes.” The previous program saw mock car crashes and public safety departments coming to schools to re-create a car crash, usually ahead of a homecoming event or prom.
Jennifer Dorsett, the Region 14 Teen Target Zero Manager, said that there were things inherently wrong with the previous program.
“People like the visuals that every 15 minutes provided… but when you look at evidence based programming, what we know doesn’t work for teens is scare tactics,” said Dorsett.
On top of classroom learning, the WTSC also has a year-round program called Peer to Peer: Teens in the Driver Seat that connects students with others at Texas A&M. The WTSC also has an app that users between the ages of 16 and 25 can download to make money while driving safely.
“If they [teens] don’t activate their phone screen while driving… they get a safe drive,” said Dorsett. “And then after ten safe drives, they start getting paid for safe travel.”
There is no set date when schools will have the Teen Target Zero on campus, rather the school has to coordinate with the WTSC to come in to teach students.
