Lauren Winborne/SteerSmart
Atlanta native Lauren Winborne became concerned about the highways and surface roads when her oldest of six children began the driving process. What began as a project with her husband of merely clipping out articles about crashes involving high school and college students in order to discuss them with their children, turned into the educational initiative and non profit SteerSmart.
Through years of research, Winborne has developed a unique one hour program centered around cars. The program is hardly a one dimensional “Don’t Text and Drive” or “Don’t Drink and Drive” initiative. Along with conversation around distractions and drugs and alcohol, there is a heavy focus on trucks, speed, seat belts and weather. There is also strong conversation around decision making, being a passenger, and the magnitude of what being a passenger means and back-up plans.
There are two SteerSmart programs. One is specifically for seniors in high school and college students, and one is for all high school students who are not seniors. The program for older students focuses on specific senior/college specific scenarios such as road trips, falling asleep at the wheel, sober drivers, Lyft vs. Uber, drinking at night, and getting a shared ride service or a designated driver, and then getting a DUI the next day while alcohol is still in your system and more.
SteerSmart has had programs in 15 states and has had multiple programs at the University of Alabama, Georgia Tech and University of Georgia. SteerSmart is free of all charges and is a 501c(3).
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