Students at Holland HS work to change attitudes of peers

The Holland High School (Holland, Texas) Family Career and Community Leaders of America program placed fifth for their TDS poster at the FCCLA Region III Texas meeting in Plano, Texas.

The poster showcased the top driving risks and the group’s activities that promote safe driving. Their recognition at the regional meeting qualified them for the state competition in Corpus Christi, Texas on June 6.

Recently, the Texas Transportation Institute asked students from Holland High School about their driving habits and the dangers associated with teen driving. The results were the following:

• Only four percent of students who completed the questionnaire identified all five crash-risk factors.
• 71 percent said using cell phones while driving (talking and texting) was dangerous, even though one in ten students said they frequently use their cell phone while driving.
• Even though driving at night is the number one crash-risk factor for teens, none of the students who were asked identified it as a risk.

When compared with other rural high schools in Texas, students at Holland High School generally know more about the dangers of teen driving, but put their knowledge into practice less while driving.

Holland High School students are trying to change the attitudes and behaviors of their fellow students by handing out fliers at sporting events, placing banners in school hallways, and participating in FCCLA statewide events.