Safety campaign targets teens

Having filmed two "High School Musical" movies here, with a third currently in production, Lucas Grabeel said he feels at home in Salt Lake City.

Now, the "High School Musical" star wants to feel safe on Utah's streets.

Grabeel joined Mayor Ralph Becker on the west steps of the Salt Lake City-County Building on Monday afternoon to promote safe teen driving.

Becker proclaimed May as Youth Traffic Safety Month in Salt Lake City, calling on parents, educators, law enforcement, elected officials and community leaders — as well as teen drivers — to "play a part in protecting our youth and educating them and their families about traffic safety."

With youth events such as proms and graduations happening in May and summer vacations not far behind, it's an important time to raise awareness of safe teen driving, he said.

"I hope our community will join together in an effort to make this summer's roads the safest on record for Salt Lake City residents," Becker said.

Grabeel, who plays Ryan Evans in the "High School Musical" movies, is the spokesman for National Youth Traffic Safety Month. The 23-year-old actor is in Salt Lake City for "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," which will be filmed through June at East High School.

"There is something we can do about these needless collisions, these needless car crashes," Grabeel said. "They are needless because they can be solved simply by being aware."

More than 6,000 youths die in traffic-related crashes each year, making it the No. 1 killer of teens, according to the National Organization for Youth Safety.

Young drivers can change that by taking steps to be safe on the roads, such as wearing a seat belt, driving at safe speeds and pulling over to talk or text on a cell phone, Grabeel said.

"The power is in the teen," he said. "If we do that, the roads will be safer for everybody."

East High lost one of its own in March 2007 in one of those needless car crashes, Grabeel said. Lauren Mulkey, 17, was killed when her car was struck by a 19-year-old driver who police said was speeding while looking for a friend's number on a cell phone.

The teen's mother, Linda Mulkey, praised Becker for supporting Youth Traffic Safety Month on Monday and joined the mayor in calling for drivers of all ages to hang up their cell phones before driving.

"If we together can stop just one person from creating this kind of tragedy, all of our efforts will be worthwhile," she said.

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