Virginia Beach Police, City Schools, and YOVASO Team up to Host Teen Driving Skills CARnival at Lynnhaven Mall
Friday, October 26, 2012 · 02:00 pm
A Teen Driving CARnival to promote safe driving skills for young and inexperienced drivers has been scheduled along with the Crime Prevention Unit’s annual safety display for Saturday, November 3, from 10 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach. In addition, first responders from the police, fire, and emergency medical services will hold a Public Safety Day with displays of equipment from their respective departments. The Nightingale Regional Air Ambulance will also be on display.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools and the Virginia Beach Police Department is partnering with Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety (YOVASO) to host the event which is open to all Virginia Beach teens. The CARnival theme will blend fun with education and will involve a series of stations designed to address the top factors of teen crashes and fatalities and to encourage save driving attitudes.
Teens will register at the entrance and will receive tickets to the attractions. The first 350 attendees will receive a free T-shirt. Everyone will receive a backpack and will be eligible to win iPads, iPods, and a flat screen TV. Schools with the most attendees may receive cash prizes for traffic safety initiatives.
The Teen Driving CARnival is funded through a special 2012 Ford Driving Skills for Life Grant presented by the Ford Motor Company and the Governors Highway Safety Association. The CARnival will be located behind the AMC Theater.
Virginia Beach was selected for the Teen Driving CARnival based on the city's 12-year history for teen motor vehicle fatalities. From 2000 to 2011, 47 teenagers between the ages of 16 and 20 were killed in motor vehicle crashes, placing the city third in the state in teen fatalities. In addition, 1,858 teenagers have suffered serious injuries in motor vehicle crashes over the 12-year span.
For more information, please contact MPO Jim McElligott at 757-385-1330, jmcellig@vbgov.com or YOVASO at 804-548-4117.