North Dakota Campaign Seeks To End Deadly Epidemic of Teens and Speeding

SADD and the Ford Philanthropy team-up to address speeding in response to national report

Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the Ford Philanthropy have launched a new campaign calling upon teens to end the deadly epidemic of teens and speeding.

SADD students created the Speak-Up, Slow-Down campaign with support from the Ford Philanthropy to draw attention to the rising number of teen crashes, injuries, and roadway fatalities caused by excess speed. A report from the Ford Philanthropy and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) highlights that 15,510 teen drivers aged 16 to 19 were involved in fatal vehicle crashes from 2015-2019. More than one-third of those crashes—5,202—involved speeding.

"Car crashes continue to be a leading cause of death for students, especially across rural America where speeding is seen as a daily activity," said Rick Birt, SADD President and CEO. "We want teens to slow down and use their voice to speak up if they're in a car with a driver that is being unsafe. That one decision can and will save lives.”

The campaign will launch in North Dakota, a state that continues to have some of the highest speed limits in the US.

Campaign elements include:

• Speed Posts
  • A series of call-to-action social media posts for teens and parents on the topic of speed, created in part with the help of the staff from Eide Ford of Bismarck.
  • A tip card to engage parents on how to discuss speed with new drivers.
  • A series of Public Service Announcements
• Live Events
  • SADD student members across the state will be hosting virtual and in-person events, working with community and state leaders to draw attention to this destructive behavior.

The Campaign will launch in three phases and will lead to messaging that is appropriate for that specific season. Phase one will be released with back-to-school messaging, phase two as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week in October, and phase three with holiday safety messaging in November.

“SADD and Ford Driving Skills for Life have enjoyed a long relationship and together we have reached hundreds of thousands of young people with a message of mobility safety,” said Jim Graham, manager, Ford Philanthropy. “I look forward to seeing the creative solutions from students through the Speak-Up, Slow-Down campaign to help reduce speeding in their communities.”

Campaign elements are available to SADD Chapters nationwide and can be found on www.sadd.org and SADD's library of social media platforms.