• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Jobs
  • Pressroom
  • MyTTI
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SlideShare
  • RSS

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Saving Lives, Time and Resources.

  • About TTI
    • Overview
    • Academic Partners
    • Advisory Council
    • Hall of Honor
    • History
    • Sponsors
    • Participate in Research
  • Focus Areas
    • Connected Transportation
    • Economics
    • Environment
    • Freight
    • Human Interaction
    • Infrastructure
    • Mobility
    • Planning and Operations
    • Policy
    • Safety
    • Security
    • Workforce Development
  • Facilities
    • Connected Transportation
    • Infrastructure
    • Safety
    • Environment
    • Traffic Operations
    • Maps
  • Home
  • Centers
    • National
    • State
    • Research Internships
  • People
    • People Search
    • Directory
    • Featured Researchers
  • Publications
    • Catalog Search
    • Texas Transportation Researcher
You are here: Home / News / Henk Receives NSC’s 2015 Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award

Henk Receives NSC’s 2015 Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award

October 15, 2015

Russell Henk receives an award from Debbie Hersman.
Debbie Hersman, CEO of the National Safety Council, presents Russell Henk the 2015 Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award.

The National Safety Council (NSC) recently awarded Russell Henk, program manager for TTI’s Youth Transportation Safety Program, the organization’s 2015 Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award. Henk won the award for his “long-term commitment to reducing teen crashes through developing, nurturing and growing” Teens in the Driver Seat® (TDS), the program Henk founded more than a decade ago.

TDS promotes awareness of the top five dangers of teen driving: driving at night; speeding and street racing; distractions, such as cell phones/texting and teen passengers; not wearing a seat belt; and alcohol/drug use. With the program’s resources and staff support, high schools undertake a variety of grassroots outreach activities throughout the year in their schools and communities to help create a traffic safety culture.

The citation by Kelly Nantel, vice president of communications and advocacy for NSC, specifically mentions how Henk and TDS championing teen driving safety “directly effects change in both behavior and perception.”

“We know those efforts save lives and prevent injuries on our nation’s roadways,” says Nantel. “The research component of TDS—that is, being able to measure its effectiveness with teens over time—was vitally important to Mr. Henk’s receiving this award. That kind of measurement is imperative in our ongoing efforts to curb teen driver crashes and save lives.”

Each year the NSC bestows awards on individuals and organizations who’ve proven they’re making a real difference in improving driving habits among teens. Winners of the 2015 awards received their awards in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 26 at the annual Defensive Driving Courses banquet, part of the 2015 NSC Congress & Expo.

“Receiving this award is both humbling and thrilling,” says Henk. “It’s a great tribute that I must share with the entire TDS team, with whom I am so blessed to work. Validation of our collective accomplishments by such a well-respected organization on a national stage is pretty incredible, but knowing we’ve saved lives is the most rewarding aspect of all.”

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: 2015 Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award, National Safety Council, Russell Henk, Teens in the Driver Seat

  • The State of Texas
  • Texas Homeland Security
  • Texas Veterans Portal
  • State Expenditure Database
  • Statewide Search
  • State Auditor’s Office Hotline
  • TAMUS Risk, Fraud & Misconduct Hotline
  • Site Policies
  • Open Records Policy
  • Statutorily Required Reports
  • TTI Rules
  • Veterans
  • Equal Opportunity
  • COVID-19 Info
  • Jobs
Member of the Texas A&M University System

© 2023 Copyright Statement / Legal Notices and Policies

Comments, suggestions, or queries? Contact us!

Texas A&M Transportation Institute · 3135 TAMU · College Station, Texas 77843-3135

(979) 317-2000

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.