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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Teens in the Driver Seat program is marking the |
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15th anniversary of its founding in May 2017; and |
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WHEREAS, Launched in 2002 by the Texas A&M Transportation |
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Institute, with sponsorship from the Texas Department of |
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Transportation and State Farm Insurance, Teens in the Driver Seat |
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seeks to address the issue of motor vehicle crashes as the leading |
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cause of death for young people in the United States; and |
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WHEREAS, Each year, thousands of teenagers nationwide, |
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including hundreds in Texas, are killed in vehicle collisions, and |
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many times that number sustain serious injuries; TDS works to |
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empower teen drivers and passengers to speak out about unsafe |
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driving behaviors and to educate their peers, families, and |
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communities on seat belt safety, speeding, and impaired, drowsy, |
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and distracted driving; the nonprofit program also maintains a Teen |
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Advisory Board, whose members regularly engage in such activities |
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as traffic safety fairs, speaker assemblies, grassroots on-campus |
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outreach, and the annual Teen Driver Safety Summit; and |
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WHEREAS, TDS has been implemented in nearly 1,000 junior high |
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and high schools in Texas, and it has served more than 1.3 million |
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students across the country; moreover, it has been cited as a |
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leading contributor to the recent decline in fatal crashes |
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involving young drivers in the Lone Star State; the program has won |
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numerous awards, and it has been honored four times as a best |
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practices model by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the |
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Governors Highway Safety Association, and the National Safety |
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Council; and |
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WHEREAS, For the past decade and a half, Teens in the Driver |
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Seat has played a vital role in addressing one of the most urgent |
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safety and public health issues facing our state and nation, and it |
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is indeed worthy of recognition for the positive impact it has had |
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on countless young lives; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Teens in |
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the Driver Seat program and extend to all those associated with the |
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initiative sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the program as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Bernal |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1949 was adopted by the House on May |
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12, 2017, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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