Youth Driven
By Becky White
Youth DrivenOct 14, 2021
Ep. 21 Roz Thompson Senior Public Affairs Specialist at AAA Northeast discusses teen drivers
To say that Roz Thompson is passionate about educating teens is an understatement. She is a joyful force working hard to educate youth on how to stay safe behind the wheel. She also focues on the parents role in helping teens make good decisions while driving. She has been with AAA Northeast for over 20 years and is the Senior Public Affairs Specialist. I am honored to introduce you to Roz.
AAA Northeast Youth Programs/Support:
Ep. 20 Remembering Matthew Dennison with his father Mark Dennison
Matthew Dennison was driving home with his best friend when their car collided head on with an alleged drunken driver. Matthew was seriously injured and lost his fight 27 days after that crash. Within this episode his father, Mark Dennison, shares what happened on that day and how this crash has changed his life forever.
Ep. 19 Traffic Safety Experts - Dr. Roberts & Dr. McDermott ADHD teen driving research
This episode we interview UMASS Professors Jennifer McDermott and Shannon Roberts, who share their research about driving as an adolescent with ADHD.
Dr. Roberts is an assistant professor of industrial engineering at UMASS Amherst. Her research is in human factors and she considers human abilities and limitations when we design technology. She has a particular focus on vehicles and how we can consider information about how people drive to better inform the design of vehicles.
Jen McDermott is an associate professor in the psychological and brain sciences department at UMASS and her focus is on developmental science. Studying early childhood attention and self regulation skills that are crucial to good behavioral control. Trying to understand what are the factors that help kids develop better attention and better self regulation. How do we help adolescents become better drivers by developing and using these skills when getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
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Roberts Research Group Website: http://people.umass.edu/scroberts/index.html
Ep. 18 Youth Perspective - Thomas
Thomas is one of our Youth Driven leaders and knows first hand how one persons choice to drive impaired can impact so many people. He shares his tips on how he stays calm behind the wheel and how we all need to come together and make better choices when it comes to driving. Thank you Thomas for being so open and continue to lead by example.
Ep. 17 End Distracted Driving and Casey's Story with Joel Feldman
In July of 2009 Joel's Feldman’s daughter, Casey was walking to her summer job. She was in a crosswalk when a 58 year old man rolled through the stop sign and struck her. Casey did not survive her injuries and was killed that day because the driver that hit her made a choice to take his eyes off the road and drive distracted. Joel has made it his life's work to educate youth about the dangers of distracted driving so no one will ever have to experience the loss and pain that his family has had to endure.
END Distracted Driving - Following Casey’s death her parents, Joel Feldman and Dianne Anderson, created EndDD.org and have worked to keep all of us safer on the roads from distracted drivers. Joel has personally given more than 900 presentations to about 200,000 students and adults. EndDD.org provides speakers for school presentations, as well as community and business presentations.
Within this episode we also discussed:
“Casey taught us that each and every person has a unique and beautiful story and it is in the telling of those stories that we change the world for the better.”
Post traumatic growth - People who have experienced terrible trauma survive through it, learn from it and choose to grow.
“You can’t cure my grief but knowing that I can talk to you is helpful”
"I' statements are powerful and work. ~
"I feel nervous when you are driving and looking at your phone.”
“Mom, Dad I love you but I don’t feel safe when you are driving and look at your phone.”
Ep. 16 Youth Perspective - Grace
Grace is a passionate and kind student leader that truly cares about traffic safety. She shares in this podcast her perspective about distracted driving, impaired driving, drowsy driving and how important it is to have the courage to speak up to your peers about making safe choices.
Ep. 15 Impaired Driving Engagement Council Coordinator - Anthony Silva
Tony Silva has over 40 years exsperiance in law enforcement and traffic safety. He was the Lincoln police officer for almost 20 years and then became the police chief in Cumberland for 10 years. After retiring from the uniform he ran the Rhode Island Police Academy for 7 years, next he worked for the division of motor vehicles for 3 years and lastly, worked for the Lt. Governor.
Ep. 14 Youth Perspective - Satanvi
Satanvi is a wonderful student leader at Youth Driven and she shares her take on all traffic safety topics. Including distracted driving, the dangers of speeding, seat belts and impaired driving. She shares how teens her age view cannabis vs. alcohol when driving and shares why you should never drive under the influence.
Ep. 13 Youth Perspective - Alex
Alex is a wonderful student leader at Youth Driven and she shares her take on all traffic safety topics. Including distracted driving, the dangers of speeding, seat belts and impaired driving. She shares how teens her age view cannabis vs. alcohol when driving and shares why you should never drive under the influence.
Ep. 12 MADD Victim Advocate - with Francie Mantak
Francie Mantak is the victim advocate for MADD RI and she couldn't be more perfect for this position. She is so kind and truly cares about the families and survivors she supports. During this episode we discuss what services she provides as a Victim Advocate, how this job has impacted her life and how important it is to address grief in a healthy way. Below is her contact information and a full description of services a MADD Victim Advocate provides.
Email: francie.mantak@madd.org
Phone: 401-421-0800 x5403
Website: www.MADD.org
To be put in touch with a MADD Victim Advocate in your area or if you need to speak with someone immediately, call MADD’s Victim/Survivor Helpline at 1-877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
A person’s life is forever changed following a drunk or drugged driving crash. Many victims and survivors are left not knowing what to do or where to turn. MADD Victim Services is here to help those following the aftermath of a crash at no cost to the victim.
Victim Services Provided at No Charge- we strive to provide as many services as possible to victims of drugged and drunk driving crashes. Listed below are some examples of services that MADD may be able to provide, the actual services provided will be based on availability.
- Offer emotional support to those impacted by phone, in person or via email
- Provide a wide selection of free brochures and literature, available in both English and Spanish related to the aftermath of the crash.
- Provide information, education and assistance in understanding the various laws related to drunk and drugged driving laws in your area
- Education on the criminal justice process and court proceedings
- Assistance with preparation of a Victim Impact Statement to present at the sentencing of the offender. Depending on availability, sometimes MADD can provide accompaniment to court or if you are unable to attend, keep you informed of the legal proceedings
- Assist victims in understanding their rights as a victim and completing an application for Crime Victims Compensation
- Assist in preparing statements for parole hearings or probation hearings
- Referrals to local community resources including but not limited to support groups, crisis professional counselors, and civil attorneys.
Ep. 11 Youth Perspective - Hunter
Hunter is a student leader who has been committed to Youth Driven since day one. Throughout this podcast Hunter shares his perspective about different traffic safety topics, including drugged driving, seat belts and much more. He is a driven individual and I am so pleased to introduce you to Hunter.
Ep. 10 Changing Road Infrastructure to Save Lives - with Liza Burkin
Liza Burkin is an urban planner, mobility advocate, writer, and is extremely passionate about roadway infrastructure and making our streets safer for all road users. In this podcast Liza explains how the infrastructure of our roads is so crucial to the safety of not just pedestrians and cyclists but for drivers too. Liza explains how adding a tree canopy over a road can reduce speeding or how adding curbs to an intersection can reduce the number of traffic crash incidents from occurring. Education and prevention programs help in reducing crashes but Liza explains why we also need to change the infrastructure of our road ways in order to reach our goal of zero fatalities. Liza is the lead organizer of the Providence Streets Coalition, which is an alliance of community organizations, local businesses, schools, institutions, civic leaders, and engaged individuals advocating for people-friendly streets in Providence. To learn more visit their website at pvdstreets.org.
Ep. 9 Youth Perspective - Bella
Bella is one of our student leaders who is never scared of a challenge and always finds a way to get her traffic safety messages out to her school. Throughout this podcast Bella shares her perspective about different traffic safety topics, including seat belt safety, her exsperiance as a new driver and much more. She is one of the most driven students I have every met and it is my honor to introduce you to Bella.
Ep. 8 Mental Health & Traffic Safety with Isabelle Boullier
Isabelle shares her research project on mental health and traffic safety that she conducted during her 8 week internship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). She shares her main points from her research project and why it is important that we start to discuss how are mental health affects us while driving.
To contact Isabelle Boullier directly you can email her at ib.publichealth@outlook.com
Ep. 7 Drowsy Driving with Mary Maguire
Mary Maguire is the Massachusetts spokes person for AAA Northeast and will be discussing drowsy driving and why it is important to get a healthy amount of sleep before getting behind the wheel. Mary will also be sharing her personal story about the night her son fell asleep at the wheel and survived a horrific car crash. Mary also shares how that incident changed her family's life and drove her to become even more passionate about educating others about traffic safety.
Ep. 6 Traffic Safety Expert - Sergeant Wesley Pennington - RI State Police
Sergeant Wesley H. Pugh-Pennington of the Rhode Island State Police discusses the DUI Traffic Safety Unit, his expertise as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and why he is so passionate about traffic safety. He also shares how DREs can identify when an individual is driving under the influence of marijuana and educates our audience about what sort of penalties you will face if charged while driving high.
Ep. 5 Remembering Jeffrey Monica
Robin Monica shares the painful story of her son, Jeffrey Monica, who at the age of 19 died in a car crash. By sharing Jeff's story she hopes that people will learn that the choices you make when getting behind the wheel impaired can change not only your life but the lives of everyone you know, forever.
"I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again"
~ James Taylor, 'Fire and Rain'
Ep. 4 Youth Perspective - Alakananda & Armina
Alakananda & Armina were very shy when I first met them a few years ago but now they are anything but quiet when advocating for safer roads. These two are dedicated, driven and lead by example everyday. They are born leaders and I am honored to introduce you to Alakananda & Armina.
Ep. 3 Driving High - Diana Gugliotta
Traffic safety expert, Diana Gugliotta is the Senior Manager of Public Affairs at AAA Northeast. During this episode we discuss the Shifting Gears program, that teaches students about the dangers of driving while under the influence of marijuana.
Resources Discussed In This Episode:
https://northeast.aaa.com/community
https://northeast.aaa.com/community/Shifting-Gears/Overview.html
www.youthdriven.org
Ep. 2 Youth Perspective - Sydney
Sydeny has been passionate about prevention work and traffic safety awareness since she was in middle school. Throughout this podcast Sydney shares her perspective about different traffic safety topics, including driving under the influence of marijuana, distracted driving and much more. She is a true student leader with a heart of gold and it is my honor to introduce you to Sydney.
Ep. 1 Finding My Purpose Through Tragedy with Becky White
Becky White found her passion for traffic safety after surviving a horrific car crash that killed her mother and friend. In this episode Becky shares her story about that terrible crash and what helped her turn such a devastating event into her 'why'. Her passion, her drive, her life purpose, which is to educate others about how to stay safe on our roads.