The Topic: Students educating students about the dangers of unsafe driving.

What happened?

Fieldcrest High School students decided eight was enough.

That's the number of students who have been killed in automobile accidents while attending the high school in Minonk, which also serves Wenona, Toluca and the surrounding area. Three years ago Fieldcrest Organization of Citizens Undertaking Safe and Educated Driving was formed.

FOCUSED used funding from two grants — Project Ignition and Operation Teen Safe Driving — to launch and maintain a campaign to educate students on safe driving.

Kara McDonald, the group's secretary, hopes their efforts "can help even just one person, to have an impact on someone. This helps kids."

Serena High School is in its first year of doing something similar. Guidance counselor Cathy Noel approached some of the students in Students Against Destructive Decisions about writing a grant for OTSD and using the funding to improve driving habits among the student body.

"Because we are in a rural area, the kids don't pay close attention," said Noel. "They are comfortable with their surroundings ... If they just take their eyes off the road for a second, something can happen."

Colleen Murphy, a Serena junior, joined the group and was shocked to learn 93 teenagers died in vehicle crashes in Illinois last year. The group put up 93 tiny crosses in the parking lot as a reminder to students as part of their OTSD kickoff.

That statistic stuck with Murphy as she's helped organize the campaign at her school.

"It's scary to think that it could be one of your friends or a relative," she said.

But the problem is not just local, or statewide. It's a national issue. Companies like State Farm, Allstate and Ford have thrown their resources behind these grant programs in an effort to cut down the number of teens dying behind the wheel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the No. 1 cause of death among teenagers is automobile accidents, with 35 percent of teen deaths linked to vehicle crashes. Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers, according to the NHTSA.

Why does it matter?

Many vehicle accidents involving teens can be traced back to inexperience and a sense of invincibility. Both of these issues are ones these groups seek to remedy.

Conditions like icy roads and foggy days can contribute to crashes, as well as how to react if an animal is in the road or if a driver suddenly comes upon slow-moving farm equipment. FOCUSED offers a weekly reminder tackling one of these scenarios during announcements on Friday.

Sheila Healy, the sponsor for FOCUSED, said many students at Fieldcrest typically take the back roads when they leave Minonk to go home to the surrounding communities. They don't realize they need to slow down for farm equipment or in bad weather.

"We want them to realize how important safe driving is," said Healy. "When they're inexperienced, they don't think about it. We want them to learn about how important hazard recognition is, what to look out for, to be aware of others. We want them to learn more about driving."

But teens, studies have shown, also have some bad habits that contribute to their likelihood of being in an accident. Texting and talking on cell phones has been found to be prevalent in teens, so much so that these safe driving groups are focusing on that issue this year.

"When I see someone talking or texting (while driving), I hate it," said Marie Tyner, vice president of FOCUSED.

"Now when I get a text while I'm in the car, I don't even look at it," agreed Allie Genster, also part of FOCUSED.

Teens also can drive too fast, play music too loud and may have too many people in the car while driving. Combine those factors with inexperience and it increases the likelihood of an accident. Throw alcohol into the mix and the situation is even worse.

But some habits teens may not realize are dangerous.

"Eating in the car," said Chelsea Allison, a member of FOCUSED. "That's really up there (as a habit that contributes to crashes). Even having water or pop or coffee. Kids do that a lot."

Both groups have done seat belt compliance checks — even on faculty and staff — to raise awareness about buckling up. With Serena being in the early stages of its efforts, Murphy said compliance was about 50-50. But McDonald said they've seen a shift at Fieldcrest. During the last check, compliance was nearing 100 percent.

And while warning of the dangers of texting while driving is a priority, helping students realize how alcohol can impair their driving is still important. Both schools have asked students to go through an obstacle course with goggles that mimic what it's like to be drunk. They also include games that show how texting can take awareness from the road.

While the assemblies are fun, they also send a message: driving is a big responsibility.

"Teens think that when they get their driver's license, it's so cool,"said Kelissa Peterson, a junior at Serena. "They don't realize the responsibility that comes with it. (Our driver's education teacher) tries to teach us that, but a lot of kids don't pay attention. I think they can relate better to teens talking to teens and it comes across clear."

What's next?

Project Ignition, in conjunction with State Farm, is a national program that takes the top 25 grant application for funding. These schools then compete for one of 10 spots at a conference in California this spring to present the work they've done during the first semester at their buildings to encourage safe driving among their peers.

FOCUSED has submitted its scrapbooks and has completed a video (on YouTube) for its application — detailing seat belt compliance checks, visiting elementary school classrooms at Halloween to teach students how to stay safe around cars, doing a presentation at a football game that brought together emergency personnel and commemorated the eight lives lost at the school and its road posted in the cafeteria that is covered with pledges not to text and drive. Members also established a group presence on Facebook. Members have their fingers crossed that they will win $5,000 to go to California. If they win there, they would receive $10,000.

"These kids have put in a lot of time," said Healy, noting that many come in early or stay late to make sure their programs are a success.

OTSD is a combined effort between Allstate, Ford and the Illinois Department of Transportation. It offers seed money to schools across the state to come up with their own programs and share them with their peers. The program focuses on hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space management and speed management.

Each school must present its efforts to OTSD at the end of February. The winning school in each region is award extra money for its post prom party and gets to participate in a stunt driving event with professional drivers.

But even beyond the grant programs, the groups have high hopes of helping others. FOCUSED is working with the Woodford County Board to pass a resolution establishing Teen Safe Driving Day that would encourage events county-wide.

"Our communities have supported us so well,"said Healy.

Want to learn more?

Both groups will be conducting educational programs throughout the school year. To learn more about Project Ignition, visit the Web site at sfprojectignition.com.

To learn more about Operation Teen Safe Driving, visit www.drivingskillsforlife.com or www.buckleupillinois.org.