Driving course aims to keep kids ‘Alive at 25’
By Alyssa Schafer
They found a half-written text message on the victim’s cell phone. That’s how authorities knew exactly what distracted a young driver killed in Burleigh County, said Deputy Roy Bailey, school resource officer for the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department. A roomful of area high school students sat silent after hearing this story on Oct. 31 during "Alive at 25," a new defensive driving course offered by the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Several highly publicized vehicle accidents involving young drivers have received a great deal of media attention in recent weeks. It’s common knowledge that young drivers are at risk for injury and even death, but casualty statistics are alarmingly high. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death for people ages 15 to 24, said North Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Christa Sommer.
