Youth Transportation Safety

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

U in the Driver Seat

U in the Driver Seat (UDS) was created by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) in 2012 in an effort reduce the number of impaired driving injuries and deaths of college aged … More...

Teens in the Driver Seat®

Started in 2002, Teens in the Driver Seat® is the first peer-to-peer program for teens that focuses solely on traffic safety and addresses all major risks for high school students. Teens help shape the … More...

Teens in the Driver Seat Junior High

In 2010, TDS Junior High was officially launched to reach teens who were exposed to the dangers of car crashes, but have not yet begun to learn how to drive. Whether with siblings, … More...

About Us

TTI’s Youth Transportation Safety (YTS) Program seeks to save lives and prevent injury among youth through education, empowerment, and peer-led outreach. Our vision is to ensure that America’s youth live long and healthy lives through safe practices on our transportation system. Founded on the Institute’s award-winning Teens in the Driver Seat® (TDS) program, current YTS initiatives include the following grassroots, peer-to-peer outreach programs:

  • Teens in the Driver Seat: aimed at helping high school drivers form lifelong, safe driving habits while still gaining experience with the basics of being behind the wheel.
  • Teens in the Driver Seat Junior High: targeting middle school students just beginning to learn driving behaviors from their older siblings and parents to become safety advocates as passengers.
  • U in the Driver Seat: helping college-aged drivers learn to balance living on their own with managing life’s distractions, such as partying, which can lead to driving risks like impaired driving, lack of seat belt use, and speeding.
  • Sharing the Road: aimed at preventing young road user crashes through large truck, bus, railroad crossing, pedestrian and bicycle safety education and resources for peer-to-peer outreach.

Modeling its other programs on TDS, YTS safety experts recruit, educate, and inspire young members of a community to engage their peers with safety messages and interactive programs that raise awareness of driving dangers and promote positive behavioral change. Educational materials—developed by YTS staff and focus-group tested with youth advisory boards—are provided free of charge to participating program teams and funded through a combination of public- and private-sector sponsorship, such as State Farm, with a vested interest in improving driver safety for all. Regular participant surveys and field observations provide for the data-driven improvement of program materials to maintain the most effective program possible for each group.