NASCAR Driver Promotes Teen Safe Driving Rally

In conjunction with summer driving, graduation and prom season, over 500 Gallatin County High students, parents and community members attended a Teen Safe Driving Rally at the school in Warsaw Wednesday.

Kentucky State Police partnered with NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Cale Gale and RoadLoans, a leader in online automotive financing to provide a Teen Safe Driving Rally, driver of the No. 33 RoadLoans Chevrolet, was the keynote speaker at the event.

Gale, a rookie driver, shared the parallels of his inexperience and need for awareness and safety on the closed circuit race track versus the inexperience of teen drivers on the open road.

Parents were also invited to share in the Teen Safe Driving Rally to understand their responsibility in educating their student drivers. At the end of the rally, each student was provided a safe driving pledge that they could sign with their parents recognizing the importance of safe driving.

"It’s hard to believe that the leading cause of death among teenagers is not a disease, but a car," said Gale. "Through the support of RoadLoans and the Kevin Harvick Inc. team, we are able to bring a program like the Teen Safe Driving rallies to various areas with a high potential for teen fatalities due to reckless or careless driving."

KSP Troopers, Gale and student volunteers utilized Fatal Vision® goggles during the program to show students how alcohol impairment affects their driving skills. The goggles simulate impairment levels of blood alcohol content of .08 and .15. Troopers had Gale and students perform simple tasks like dribbling a basketball back and forth to show how alcohol can impact mobility skills.

Captain Tim Lucas, Commander for KSP Highway Safety Branch shared the stage with Gale challenging students to ‘drive like their life and the lives of others depended on it’.

"These students have a unique opportunity to make a real difference," said Lucas. "They can help influence on-the-road driving behaviors and save lives on Kentucky’s highways. It’s a very worthwhile goal that will require dedication and effort on their part, but it’s worth it if they save even one life.

It could be their own, their best friend, a neighbor or a family member."

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