The state Department of Education will host “Taking the Lead,” a teen traffic safety and health leadership conference, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, in UCB 100 at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Waiakea High School.
On Feb. 14, 2015, Phoenix-Claudia Kalelenai‘a Hauanio, then 17 years old, was tragically killed by a drunk driver on Queen Kaahumanu Highway in Kailua-Kona. Her mother, Cata Hauanio, received the devastating news on that fateful Valentine’s Day while she was on the mainland visiting another daughter.
Hauanio will share the story about her daughter at 1:30 p.m. Saturday to teens from nine schools from East Hawaii, Maui and Oahu as part of the conference. The conference’s goal is to help teens become more aware of risky behaviors and issues related to driving and passenger safety.
The teen traffic safety and health leadership training from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. will include workshops on safe driving for pre-teens with presentations on the “Stop If You Love Me” distracted driving campaign. The event wraps up after Hauanio’s presentation with a mini-traffic fair at Waiakea High School from 2-4 p.m.
The public is invited to the mini-traffic fair, which will give teens and parents opportunities to learn about impaired driving, sleep deprivation, tire safety and trailer safety. Students and parents can experience the effects of alcohol, marijuana, a concussion and sleep deprivation by wearing special goggles.
For more information, contact Jan Meeker-Sevilla at 305-9773.