The Between Riding and Driving Program educates youth about factors which increase their risk of injury or death when they ride in motor vehicles. The program educates youth (10 – 15-year olds) about Maryland laws on restraint use, cell phones/distracted driving, alcohol use, and graduated licensing. The IPT partnered with the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems’ occupant safety coordinator to educate preteens attending summer camps throughout the Baltimore region. Pre and post tests are used to evaluate growth in knowledge and assess changes in planned behavior.
In recognition of April's National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Hopkins Adult and Pediatric Trauma Centers, hold a Distracted Driving Prevention Awareness Seminar and Health Fair. Distracted driving continues to be a dangerous, escalating problem on Maryland’s roadways. The event features information on distracted driving crash data, evidence-based prevention programs, policy implementation and successes. The event takes place within common areas of the hospital and is open to all. In recent years, the event has expanded to include information on additional road safety hazards such as impaired and drowsy driving, proper use of child restraint systems and pedestrian safety. Organizations and companies such as the Maryland Department of Transportation and AT&T have been great partners and continue to support this event each year. Attendees test AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign also provides a distracted driving virtual reality experience for attendees and serves as a great teaching tool.
