Vermont Highway Safety Alliance reports 950 crashes from distracted driving over last four years

Teenagers target risks of distracted driving in messages aimed at their peers

High school students from across Vermont have been honored for their work producing public service messages about distracted driving, focused on their peers.Gov. Phil Scott joined the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance to present awards Friday at the Statehouse. Lawton Jones, 15, a sophomore from Green Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield, won $750 and the first-place award for his PSA urging young drivers to realize that one distraction can end in tragedy. "Working to get drivers to act responsibly behind the wheel isn't easy, but we all have a responsibility to do our part," Scott told the crowd. The governor said he see Vermonters driving with a cellphone in their hand or appearing to text "every day on the road," even though both practices are dangerous and illegal.He said police data shows distracted driving led to 950 crashes across Vermont from 2013 - 2017, and nearly 10% of those killed were teenagers.

High school students from across Vermont have been honored for their work producing public service messages about distracted driving, focused on their peers.

Gov. Phil Scott joined the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance to present awards Friday at the Statehouse.




Lawton Jones, 15, a sophomore from Green Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield, won $750 and the first-place award for his PSA urging young drivers to realize that one distraction can end in tragedy.

"Working to get drivers to act responsibly behind the wheel isn't easy, but we all have a responsibility to do our part," Scott told the crowd.

The governor said he see Vermonters driving with a cellphone in their hand or appearing to text "every day on the road," even though both practices are dangerous and illegal.

He said police data shows distracted driving led to 950 crashes across Vermont from 2013 - 2017, and nearly 10% of those killed were teenagers.