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Idaho Highway Safety Coalition program begins next week

Idaho’s goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries on state highways and local roads needs passionate safety advocates to deliver powerful messages throughout the state.

Toward that end, the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety is rolling out the Idaho Highway Safety Coalition program Sept. 23-27 with advocate training sessions throughout Idaho.

The Idaho Highway Safety Coalition (IHSC) is a network that includes law enforcement officers, nurses, teachers and Emergency Medical Technicians, among others, that advocate for safe behavior on Idaho’s highways.  

Outreach efforts will involve presentations to a variety of audiences including youth, teenage drivers, college-age adults, the general public and mature drivers. ITD has developed materials and tool kits for use by the safety advocates in presenting programs.

Pam Holt, a registered nurse and national leader in highway-safety advocacy, will be available to assist with the trainings. Each location includes a session with Holt and an ITD highway safety staff member. Coeur d’Alene, Boise and Pocatello participants also will have an opportunity to watch Holt give a safety presentation to a local audience.

“This statewide training will show advocates how to use the tools we have developed to give compelling and powerful highway safety presentations,” said ITD Highway Safety Manager Brent Jennings.

“The program will be essential to achieving the goal of zero deaths on Idaho highways and roads,” Jennings said. “We are confident our safety advocates can help achieve that goal through outreach and education.”  

The training for advocates is:

Monday, Sept. 23
Training: 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Idaho State Police Office, 615 W. Wilbur Ave., Coeur d'Alene
Presentation: 11:45 a.m., Coeur d’Alene High School, 5530 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene

Tuesday, Sept. 24
Training: 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Idaho State Police Office, 2700 North and South Highway, Lewiston

Wednesday, Sept. 25
Training: 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m., Boise Police Department, 333 Mark Stall Pl., Boise
Presentation: 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., Boise State University, Department of Communication, 1910 University Dr., Boise
Networking Lunch/Social: 12:30 p.m., Chilis, 916 S. Broadway, Boise

Thursday, Sept. 26
Training: 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Idaho State Police Office, 218 W. Yakima, Jerome

Friday, Sept. 27
Training: 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m., Idaho Transportation Department District 5, 5151 S. Fifth Ave., Pocatello
Presentation: Noon, Allstate, 4200 Hawthorne Rd., Chubbuck
Networking Lunch/Social: 1:30 p.m. Applebees, 1411 Pocatello Creek Rd., Pocatello

Published 9-20-13