Annual Teen Driver Safety Day
Tuesday, July 18th 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
UNLV Campus - Parking Lot & Lecture Auditorium
Open To All Teens In Clark County Ages 15 Through 19.
Every summer, UNLV hosts the National Summer Transportation Institute Program (NSTI) funded through the Federal Highway Administration and the NV Department Of Transportation. The past three years, the two-week program has included a day dedicated to teen driver safety open to all teens in Clark County ages 15 to 19. NSTI exposes young people to careers in the industries of transportation and public safety.
The program began with a head-on crash reenactment staged in one of UNLV's parking lots, with police and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responding as if was an actual crash. One of the vehicles contained a group of teens whose driver had made the choice to drink and drive, and the passengers made the terrible choice of getting in the car with him. The rest of the day follows that bad choice continuing with EMS treating the survivors and firemen transporting the dead. Next the reenactment moved indoors to one of UNLV's classrooms. Then teens heard from a trauma surgeon as he “treated victims” of the crash, and police who talked about the DUI process. Next, the students followed a staged trial for the driver complete with The Honorable Judge Christine Cruz, who is Chief Judge of Justice Court, and has presided over many DUI cases.
The afternoon included the team of LVMPD detectives who investigate fatal crashes. The detectives gave examples of why math and science are critical to their jobs. Teens also had the opportunity to view "In the Blink of an Eye", a powerful video presentation about a crash in Clark County, presented by the officer who created it. The afternoon then ended with a panel of family members whose lives were forever changed by a car crash.
Partnerships with many agencies and programs allow us to bring this important day to the community. Some of those people were: LVMPD Traffic, CCSD Police, Parsons Transportation, NV-DOT, Clark County Fire Department, Community Ambulance, Sunrise Hospital and Trauma Center, LVMPD Fatal Team, Quality Towing and more.