COPPERAS COVE, TX (December 26, 2021)—Copperas Cove High School junior Elise Fuselier receives her driver’s license in April. Until then, she is driving using her permit with a licensed driver in the car. Thanks to a competition at her school, Elise is ensuring that her driving habits are the safest possible.
“When she’s driving with us, she always makes sure that her phone is out of site,” said Elise’s mother, Yashika Fuselier. “She often scolds us about having our phones close by when we are driving. She doesn’t like any of us having it close by.”
With more drivers than ever before on the roadways during the holiday season, Copperas Cove High School staff and parents find peace in knowing their students are safe drivers. The Copperas Cove High School FFA Chapter partnered with the Coryell County Extension Service to host the Safe2Save program and promote safe driving practices. Over a five-week period leading into the holidays, students and parents downloaded the Safe2Save mobile application and participated in a competition to determine who the safest drivers are.
“The goal of this app is to provide an incentive to stay off the phone while operating a vehicle, as it would score each trip taken based on how many times the cellular device was picked up,” said FFA President Naysa Anzaldua. “Overtime, high driving scores turn into points at various restaurant chains such as Chick-fil-A, Schlotsky’s, and Texas Roadhouse.”
FFA officers hosted a sign-up booth, recruiting nearly 400 students, parents, and staff members to participate in Safe2Save, accumulating over 250,000 hours of undistracted driving throughout the competition. As the contest progressed, participants had the opportunity to win a variety of raffles sponsored by Safe2Save.
“I loved seeing all of my fellow classmates make a change in their driving habits, not only for their safety, but for the safety of others in the community as well,” said FFA Officer Mya Rogers. “It is always exciting to see such a positive change in the community, especially when it is driven by young adults.”
Elise Fuselier is careful as she makes her way among the holiday traffic which is heavy on Business Highway 190.
“Though the competition slipped my mind quite a few times during its lifespan, I learned a lot about the importance of being alert and off your phone while driving,” Fuselier said. “It was definitely a very fun experience competing with close friends. The most important lesson I learned is that simply waiting to get on your phone can save more lives than any of us can imagine.”
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