Video on safe driving called SMASHing hit

By Ed Runyan

runyan@vindy.com

CHAMPION

After seeing what a few dozen high school students from Trumbull County can do collaboratively when given a task and some freedom, Lt. Brian Holt is excited to see what they’ll come up with next year.

“I can tell you it’s not going to be the last year. It was a huge success,” Holt, commander of the Southington Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said Tuesday night at Trumbull Career and Technical Center.

Holt was talking about SMASH (Students Making A Safer Highway), a group the highway patrol got started. Students made a video, using several of the young people as actors, delivering a message that they are carrying to their schools before prom night.

The video, filmed and produced by students in the TCTC Interactive Multi Media program, demonstrated the sad consequences of young people getting into an accident because of distracted or impaired driving.

Played at Tuesday’s appreciation ceremony, the video offers a moving depiction of the loss friends and family feel when a loved young person dies in an accident.

Holt said Trooper Lauren Merz suggested getting the students involved in an educational project. Then Jason Gray, TCTC director, helped get Holt in touch with most high school principals.

The result was the participation of 15 high schools. Two students from each school met one hour per month for six months to brainstorm and carry out ideas. Brittany Marquette, one of the media-program students, provided much of the editing expertise, said her instructor, John Bagnola.

Now, there are close to 50 students who are passionate about preventing deaths from distracted and impaired driving, Bagnola said, and they are “going to carry the ball” to their schools to spread the message.

Holt said the highway patrol tries to educate the public on unsafe driving habits, but it can be hard for adults to relate to teens, so the adults in the project tried hard to leave the decision-making up to the kids.

“We gave the students a theme, and they hit the ground running,” Holt said.

“We’ve had tremendous response so far,” Holt said, explaining that seven or eight schools have shown the video to juniors and seniors.

Another bonus is that word about the video has gotten back to “pretty important people in Columbus” who like how it came together, Holt said.

“The reaction has been, honestly, surprising,” Holt added of the students who have seen the video.

Schools participating were Badger, Bloomfield, Brookfield, Bristol, Champion, Girard, Howland, Lakeview, Liberty, Lordstown, Maplewood, McDonald, Mineral Ridge, Newton Falls and TCTC.

Also participating were the Trumbull County Educational Service Center, Ohio State University Extension Service 4-H, Trumbull County Safe Communities Coalition, and 21 WFMJ-TV.