Alpharetta High student Shasali Bhardwaj may never look at her community’s streets again without seeing them as a site for accidents just waiting to happen. The senior recently organized a road safety assessment project for members of the school’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter.
The outing had students donning orange safety vests and heading out with roadway and safety engineers to examine the state of the six-lane intersection near the school. What they discovered were faded lane lines, missing sidewalk sections, inoperable signs and, most disturbing, distracted drivers who were busy texting and ignoring pedestrians.
“After talking to the engineers and road safety instructors, we realized there were so many things we didn’t know,” said Bhardwaj. “It also made me realize it’s not just that one road that needs to be fixed. The major thing we saw was people being distracted on their phones; that was one of the biggest problems out there.”
Heightening awareness about road safety is just one of the programs sponsored by the school’s FCCLA chapter, part of a national organization that promotes education around topics related to family and consumer issues. The Alpharetta High group has about 50 members from across all grade levels who participates in workshops on topics as varied as budgeting, childcare and the effects of drinking and driving.
“A part of our standards is to get involved in community activities, and this was our first one,” said Jennifer Kilroy, the chapter adviser. “Having heard of students dying because of roadway accidents, we wanted to raise the kids’ awareness and give them something they could take back to their families. This one really hit home; they said it was eye-opening to see how distracted people are when they’re driving.”
The program on road safety is one of the most popular projects among FCCLA groups across the country, said Sandra Spavone, the organization’s national executive director.
“It’s popular because driving is important to teenagers,” she said. “Yet the number-one cause of death for teenagers is traffic crashes, so we want to focus on their behaviors and responsibilities when they get behind the wheel. The goal is to open their eyes to the different aspects of how to be safe.”
Students also got lessons in the importance of car care, particularly tires and brake, and keeping their attention on the road.
“Most of what they heard was about behavior: don’t text and drive, don’t have too many passengers,” said Spavone. “Seeing people texting gave them that ‘aha’ moment when they realized how behavior can put other drivers and pedestrians at risk. That’s the lesson we want them to take back to their families and friends.”
During the program, students learned to look at infrastructure, including signage, crosswalks and blinking lights, in a different way, said Spavone.
“That’s a very timely topic now in Georgia, and we didn’t plan it that way,” she said with a laugh. “But they learned that if it’s not done right, it can put them at risk of a crash.
Bhardwaj plans to have the group get in touch with the DOT to lobby for changes to the intersection. “And then maybe we can do the same for other roadways as well,” she said.
Information about Alpharetta High: school.fultonschools.org/hs/alpharetta. Details about the Family Career and Community Leaders of America: fcclainc.org.
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