Community Alliance for Teen Safety

Description

The Community Alliance for Teen Safety was founded in 1996 after the greater Derry area experienced 11 fatal crashes involving teen drivers during an 18-month period in 1995 and 1996. CATS focused on public outreach and education about safe driving as well as spearheaded legislation to support a graduated licensing bill for teens, to increase the mandatory seat belt age from 12 to 18, to review driver education programs, and to enact mandatory li-cense suspension for moving violations of individuals under 20. The Community Alliance for Teen Safety (CATS) was formed as a result of this grassroots effort. CATS continues to be a force in the community that addresses high-risk behaviors. In addition to driving safety, CATS focuses on teen substance misuse prevention, bullying prevention, internet safety and media literacy, prescription drug disposal and misuse awareness, as well as issues related to the health and safety of youth and families.