South Brunswick High School's Helping Hands club keeps its focus on the road

The South Brunswick High School Helping Hands club isn't going to be distracted in its mission.

The club's campaign against distracted driving officially got on the road in a big way in January and has not encountered any speed bumps so far."This is an extremely important project for us," said Siddh Shah, a senior and treasurer of the Helping Hands Club.

"We are running a massive campaign throughout South Brunswick to spread awareness about distracted driving, its consequences, and general road safety for both adults and teenagers," Shah said. "This year’s focus is 'Ride-Focused,' which emphasizes the responsibility of the passenger to suppress distractions and ensure the driver is focused on the road. We aim to promote awareness on a far larger scale than in our first year."

The issue of distracted driving and driver safety has hit home in South Brunswick with increasing rates of crashes and fatalities.

Two teens have been charged in connection with a crash that killed a South Brunswick teenager in January 2022. Another teen was charged in connection with a crash that killed a school employee in July.

Members of the Helping Hands Club want to help teen drivers become safer drivers to prevent unnecessary injury and death, Shah said.

"It could happen to you − one mistake and everything's done," Shah said. "I think it's very real. A very real tragedy."

While the initiative began last year, the club's distracted driving awareness campaign gained more traction in January.

The Helping Hands Club targets its efforts on social work and promoting service organizations impacting local communities. According to Shah, there are about 60 students involved with the Helping Hands club with seven on the Executive Board. Social Studies teacher Kelly Zielinski is the club advisor

This year club members are working in partnership with the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey under the banner of the national Champion Schools program.

Shah said the club's members are realists − they know the issue of distracted driving is never going away completely. But the hope is that their efforts will have an impact on their classmates.

Previous warnings about the dangers of distracted driving, Shah said, didn't really "speak" to high school students.

"It didn't really teach you all that much about distracted driving − it didn't really make you understand how dangerous it is to drive distracted," he explained. "So we decided that maybe we can spearhead this initiative on behalf of the entire school."

The campaign’s slogan for 2022-2023 is "Mind on the Road, Hands on the Wheel."

"We have had an uptick in motor accidents and there have been some deaths − it was like every few months you would hear of someone in the community who died in a car crash," Shah said. "That's not the only reason we started this and we are not alone in this − it's an issue that permeates our entire country. But, especially now with all we're hearing about this, we feel it's time to bolster our program. It's imperative that people are aware about what they're doing on the road and how they're driving − making sure they understand that it's not just you, but everyone else on the road that you may be putting at risk if you drive with distractions."

Through the rest of the school year, the club plans to continue its campaign by adding a page to junior and senior prom packets that includes township motor accident statistics and interviews and sketches on the school's Viking Television Network and skits at pep rallies.

"Just so we really ingrain that in people that it's end of the year, have fun, but mostly be safe. Make sure you're not losing sight of where you are and what you are doing," Shah said.

In school, the club also hosts distracted driving awareness-related activities − trivia games, photo booths, signed pledges − during school lunches, offering candy and prizes as incentives. Shah added that an informational session will be presented to the Board of Education and a distracted driving sub-unit will be taught during Driver's Education and Health classes by physical education teachers.

"The students are going to see a presentation or informative session on distracted driving statistics and ways you could be less distracting not just to yourself, but also how, as a passenger, you can help the driver be less distracted," Shah said.

The club also is planning a fundraiser for the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey and hope to sponsor a billboard on Route 1 to remind drivers to stay focused on the road.

Club members will be working with the police department to coordinate the safe driving and awareness events.

"Through executing and expanding on this list, we hope to create a robust, yearly distracting driving campaign for the Champion Schools Program that serves as an educational hallmark for all South Brunswick drivers, especially high school drivers new to the road," Shah said.

According to Shah, club members felt that if the initiative was led by fellow students, it would have more of an impact.

"We thought that perhaps we can get through to high school students a lot more effectively than if a bunch of adults came into the room started talking like, 'don't drive distracted, make sure your phone is always down,'" Shah said. "But, if we, as teenagers give examples that can connect to our fellow classmates, maybe they'll listen more. Maybe they will take it to heart. "

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: South Brunswick High School club focuses on distracted driving