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ROADWISE

Discussing distracted driving with teens

  • THE STATS

    Distraction is the cause of 80% of car crashes.

    Nearly three out of four teen vehicle occupants killed in 2017 Missouri traffic crashes were not wearing a safety belt.

    In 2017 Kansas traffic crashes, drivers failing to give full time and attention was the number one contributing circumstance.

    One in five 2017 Missouri traffic crashes involved a young driver.

Statistics collected from Missouri Department of Transportation and Kansas Department of Transportation

MAKING KANSAS CITY'S YOUNG DRIVERS SAFE DRIVERS.

RoadWise is a free program for young drivers 14-18, emphasizing the importance of wearing a seat belt and making good, safe decisions behind the wheel.

Participants follow the path they would take at a trauma center after being seriously injured in a car crash by visiting the Emergency Room, Radiology, Intensive Care and Physical Therapy. Time is spent with young people who have sustained a permanent brain or spinal cord injury as a result of a motor-vehicle crash. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also visits to talk about working crash sites and the daunting task of making death notifications to families.

What young drivers are saying about RoadWise:

  • "I learned how much seat belts actually work and have already saved lives."
  • "Excellent class! Very impactful! You are saving lives!"
  • "The crash photos influenced me to be a safe driver."
  • "Hearing how drunk driving personally affects people made it a lot more real to me."
  • "This was a really good class. I learned a lot and would recommend it to my friends."
  • "I like how we got to walk around the hospital and see what happens to car crash victims."

RoadWise is a hospital-based program with several contributing health workers. To keep those health care workers and our RoadWise attendees safe during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, both RoadWise classes in 2020 are cancelled. For more information, contact Charlotte Melson at charlotte@theresearchfoundationkc.org or 816-276-4900.