Valley program aims to curb distracted driving

PHOENIX - You may not realize how prevalent teen driver crashes can be, but one out of every four teens will be involved in a crash in their first two years of driving.

Two special events for teens and their parents this week aim to get the message about safe driving to teens through an emotional presentation.

The “Road Sensibility” community event features speaker Cara Filler. Filler’s own life took a radical turn when she experienced a tragic loss at the age of 18.

“My identical twin was killed in a speeding car driven by her boyfriend. She was my best friend. I thought we would always be together,” said Cara.

She says her story is not unique, in fact there will be 6,000 stories like this in the United States this year.

Cara’s twin Mairin was just weeks away from college when the vehicle she was in, going 110 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone, crashed. Cara was driving her mom’s mini-van behind them and saw the entire thing.

“We always think it will happen to someone else and in my case it did,” Cara said.

That was 15 years ago. Now Cara speaks to teens all over the country hoping she reaches at least one at each event.

“This is not a club [I] wanted to be in,” she said.

While her story is sad, she says she works to keep her audience on an emotional roller coaster, poking fun at herself to engage the teens. She stresses that there are no accidents and that we all make choices, including the choice to speed or to get into a vehicle with an unsafe driver.

She says she even teaches kids to lie.

“What ever it takes to get them out of that vehicle,” Cara said.

You and your teen can hear Cara speak at these two events put on by TASER.

Wednesday 6:30 p.m.
Paradise Valley High School
3950 E. Bell Road
Phoenix, AZ

Thursday 6:30 p.m.
Freestone Recreation Center
1411 E. Guadalupe Rd.
Gilbert, AZ