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Gen. Mike Minihan, Commander of Air Mobility Command, visits the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station June 8, 2024.

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Traffic Safety fair helps protect young drivers behind wheel

  • Published
  • By Mr. Peter Borys
  • 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. --  Its prom season again. Some area high school students are busy preparing for that big night. Meanwhile federal, state, local agencies, volunteer firefighters as well as some Western New York area businesses are preparing these students for the most important event of prom season: Staying Alive!

This is also when emergency first responders see a spike in traffic accidents involving teenage drivers. Each year the Niagara Regional Traffic Safety Program helps to protect young drivers behind the wheel. Throughout the day students from area high schools are taught the dangers of driving while distracted and under the influence of alcohol. Guest speakers and demonstrations are planned for the duration of the event with a live performance by students of the Niagara County Community College Theater Arts Department.

One of the most popular and visceral demonstrations is a live two vehicle collision put on by Calspan Corp. The demonstration in which two cars collide, a real 911 recording being played and first responders showing up to the scene to extricate crash test dummy victims "Gives the kids a good perspective of seeing a crash and the time it takes between the 911 call and the arrival of the first responders" said Mr. Dave Travale, Technical Director of Transportation of Calspan. Travale added "seeing the damage" caused by a relatively low speed accident "Makes an impact on the students".

Having the Niagara Regional Traffic Safety Program for the past 17 years at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is "one of the better things we do to give back to the community" according to 914th Airlift Wing Occupational Health and Safety Manager Allan Davidson. Davidson added the success of the event can be attributed to the "Positive involvement of the law enforcement community, Calspan, railroads and others" with their displays and interactions.

Grand Island High School Senior Amanda Lore participated in a vehicle obstacle course demonstration where an instructor had her maneuver a vehicle around safety cones. "The hardest part of the course was going through the cones, zig zagging "I'm pretty sure I hit just about everyone," joked Lore.

Page Kippley, another senior at Grand Island High School said the thing that struck her the most about the whole program was the damage that was done to the cars during the 30 mph collision demonstration. "Imagine if you were going like 50 or 60 mph what kind of damage that would create," said Kippley.

The Niagara Regional Traffic Safety program continues until May 25 at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.