Campaign is gathering safe driver pledges from CHS students

By BECKY THOMAS

Staff Reporter

Petrina Eastman is on a mission to get Cheney High School students to pledge to be safe drivers.

Eastman, a Cheney-area resident with a 16-year-old daughter at the school, is an insurance agent with American Family Insurance. The insurance company donates money to each office to give to schools as part of their Teen Safe Driver Program.

“I chose Cheney because this is home,” she said. “My daughter goes to school here.”

The program recently donated $900 to CHS athletics, and Cheney can compete for $15,000 by getting the most students to take the Teen Safe Driver Pledge.

Last week, Eastman set up a table in the CHS foyer during the lunch hour, luring students with free candy and pens. She filled out the pledge form on a laptop and students were given information on the pledge, which outlines actions the students will and won't do as new drivers.

“It's about keeping kids alive,” Eastman said, pointing out that many driving habits are developed within a driver's first year on the road. “This helps them develop those good habits.”

While she expressed some frustration over the lack of participation—fewer than 100 students at Cheney have pledged so far—Eastman said she hoped parents would read the literature and talk to their kids about safe driving, even sign the pledge themselves.

“Anyone in the community over the age of 14 can pledge,” she said.

The pledge drive will continue through November. In the meantime, Eastman said she hoped to work with school administrators to get the word out about the pledge and the possible prize money if Cheney out-pledges other schools. There will also be individual prize drawings for students who pledge.

The full pledge and more information are available at http://www.teensafedriverpledge.com.

Becky Thomas can be reached at [email protected].