MARION, IL (WSIL) � Hundreds of local high school students are meeting this week to learn about the importance of traffic safety. It's part of the 14th annual Williamson County Traffic Safety Days.
“Listening to some of the instructors around here, many say, ‘This is something I wasn't taught when I was your age,� said Illinois state trooper Jason Wilson, “and that is truly the case. Most of us hadn't been taught a lot of the things we're seeing these teens getting taught today.�
Tuesday kicked off a week-long event featuring students learning about a variety of ways to make the right decisions while on the roadways.
“What we’re doing is, we’re bringing in the students that are new drivers and giving them exposure to everything traffic safety related,� said Wilson.
One of those students attending is Zevon Zimbro. She’s a freshman at Sesser-Valier and her biggest takeaway is how important it is to follow all traffic laws.
“Looking at some of the videos of how some people have not followed the regulations has made me pay more attention and be more aware of what to look out for when I drive,� said Zimbro.
Trooper Wilson also says it’s important for these teens to not only hear about the consequences but also see them firsthand.
“One of the things that I remember throughout every tragic incident that I’ve had to go to, one phrase is always said, ‘I didn’t think would happen to me,’� said Wilson.
Keaton Miller is also a freshman at Sesser-Valier. He says what he took away most from his time at the event is the importance of safety on the road. So what is the best advice he got from the day?
“Wear your seatbelt more,� Miller explained. “That’s one of the leading causes of death is not having your seatbelt and mobile devices.�
Trooper Wilson says an important aspect of the event is making sure they can take at least one thing from each station throughout the day.
“We need to get these messages out in an effective way to teen drivers,� said Wilson. “One of the best things to do is to let them experience a small crash. They must understand what the consequences can be.�
Freshman Jace Lance says seeing those images has left an impact on him to make sure he does what he can to stay safe when he does get this license.
“They had videos of ATV crashes and motorcycle classes, and it showed how safe we have to be,� said Lance. “It’s cool we get to come out here and learn about it.�
So if the students take away only one thing from this week what would Trooper Wilson like that to be?
“The biggest thing is they need to think,� said Wilson. “They have to take that responsibility seriously.�
