Today’s youth and their ideations for a better world are the seeds to be nurtured for tons of tomorrows…and their partnerships with law enforcement organizations facilitate public safety efforts conjured by the means of teens.
While scrolling and sipping coffee, I observed a batch of teens unrelated to each other were highlighted by police agencies for their self-initiated role in public safety feats for everyone to embrace.
Here’s one…
In Broward County, Florida, Sarah Morales, a 16-year-old, was saddened by the growing number of traffic-related tragedies and motivated to do something about it.
She launched Safe Drives Save Lives. She is so right!
Today’s cover photo depicts Ms. Morales flanked by motor officers assigned to the Coconut Creek Police traffic unit in Broward County, Florida. These traffic-oriented cops take Sarah’s message on the road.
After that outdoors photo moment, she was sitting in what appears to be the chief’s chair, an honorary gesture of Coconut Creek police Chief Fred Hofer and Acting Captain Henry Cabrera, by whom she is flanked and embraced as the founder of traffic safety concepts ordinarily echoed by law enforcement officers who routinely risk themselves to safeguard motorists operating automobiles on roadways and pedestrians who populate peripheries.
(Photo courtesy of the Coconut Creek Police Department.)
Duly impressed with the teen’s outlook and public safety interests, the Coconut Creek Police staff had this to say:
“It was our distinct pleasure to host Sarah Morales this morning. She is the founder of Safe Drives Save Lives, a movement she started to teach teen drivers to be safer behind the wheel. She manages the filming, editing, and hosting of a series of videos she releases on Instagram, featuring local police departments and their advice to teens on staying safe on the road. And she’s doing all this at the age of 16! We’re proud to be the featured agency in her next video, which will be released soon.”
In nearby Palm Beach County, Ms. Morales interviewed a few Boca Raton police officers, both of whom reiterated the fundamentals of driving privileges and how newly licensed teens ought to take it very seriously when operating cars.
At Safe Drives Save Lives, “we educate and advocate for drivers to follow all driving laws to prevent tragic accidents on the road.”
Culling the Safe Drives Save Lives website, I found the following directed messages:
- Rules of the Road
- Know Your Speed Limits
- Handling Emergency Vehicles
- Pedestrians Sharing the Roads Safely
- Tire Safety in Hot Temperatures
- Maintain a Safe Following Distance
- Back-to-School Driving
Collaborating with Coral Springs Police Chief Brad McKeone, Ms. Morales posted a brief interview with the veteran lawman’s tips for young drivers.
Having spent some time in that area years ago, I see she contacted various law enforcement agencies to help spread the message to drive safely, culling pointers from the professionals who, as the Farmers Insurance commercial says, “know a thing or two” about the motoring public and the pitfalls out there.
By the way, Coral Springs PD has assembled an Aggressive Driving Unit whose traffic enforcement officers post their interactions with those deemed dangerous on the roadways, officiated by issuing citations and explanations. Officer Charni and Officer Vara-Valderrama are noted traffic cops in Coral Springs and their Traffic Thursdays enforcement efforts can be viewed for educational benefits.
(Photo courtesy of the Coral Springs Police Department.)
The recent spate of threats against schools by teens is countered by Ms. Morales’s engagement in safe practices, ultimately symbolizing her philosophy, “Navigate with grace, arrive at your place.” Music to a cop’s ears…played by a selfless and mindful maestro named Sarah Morales.
Incidentally, if any law enforcement entities she is collaborating with happen to have a Do the Right Thing program, she is a definite contender.
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