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RoadWise

Discussing distracted driving with teens

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.

  • Trooper
  • Radiology
  • Classroom

The stats

  • Teens are 10 times more likely to be in a fatal car accident than adults.
  • Texting behind the wheel makes you 20 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a non-distracted driver.
  • Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among teenagers in the US.
  • Most of the fatal teen car accidents occur six months after obtaining the license.
  • Despite drunk driving and texting being regarded as main distractions and accident causes for drivers of all ages, being distracted by passengers is a major factor in fatal teen crashes.

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

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 2021 are cancelled. For more information, contact Charlotte Melson at charlotte@theresearchfoundationkc.org or 816-276-4900.