• Youth Transportation Safety Program
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • 2022-23 Collegiate Advisory Board
    • Regional Representatives
    • Be The DUDE
  • Driver Risks
    • Distracted Driving
    • Impaired Driving
      • Alcohol Impaired Driving – Know the Facts
      • Drug Impaired Driving – Know the Facts
      • Drink Responsibly
      • Alcohol 101
    • Drowsy & Nighttime Driving
    • Lack of Seat Belt Use
    • Speeding & Aggression
  • Get Involved
    • At Your Texas Campus
    • Sign-Up for UDS
    • College Takeover Social Media
    • Share Your Story
    • Take the Pledge
  • Resources
    • Event / Activity Form
    • College Outreach Toolkits
    • Activity Ideas
    • Print Materials
    • Videos
    • Speaker and Educator Resources
    • Regional Representatives
  • Events & Contests
    • All-Star Reward Program
      • UDS All-Star Rules
    • Featured DUDE
    • Zero Hero
    • UDS Symposium
    • SponStar Awards
  • YDS App
  • Calendar
  • News
    • Tales From the DUDE Side
    • E-Newsletter Sign-up
  • Donate

U in the Driver Seat

A collegiate peer-to-peer program dedicated to ending impaired driving.

Text bethedude to 31996 to get weekly safety text messages.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • uds-homepage1
  • uds-homepage2
  • uds-homepage3
  • uds-homepage4
  • uds-homepage5
  • 2020-UDS-All-starts-web-hp-banner
  • online-resources-web-graphic-DROP
  • CAB22-23
  • Mini-Kits_Feat
  • Events.feat
  • Be Our Featured DUDE!
  • Share Your Story

About Us

U in the Driver Seat: A peer to peer education program for college students dedicated to reducing their number one killer – car crashes.

Here are some stats you may not know:

  • There is a higher total number of fatalities for 20-24 year olds (college) than 10-19 year old (jr. high/high school) group: 2,355 vs 1,680 (CDC, WISQARS)

Motor Vehicle Occupant deaths are greatest for persons 20-24.

 

Source: Center for Disease Control

Who We Are

U in the Driver Seat (UDS) was created by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) in an effort reduce the number of impaired driving injuries and deaths of college aged students.  This peer-to-peer initiative was inspired by the highly successful Teens in the Driver Seat© which began over 10 years ago aimed at reducing the large number of teen deaths due to car crashes.

The UDS program seeks to give college students the tools and information in order to promote peer-to-peer education regarding the dangers of driving which often including driving under the influence.  Each program is different as each campus is unique regarding students, cultures, environments, etc.

Additionally, UDS does not follow any set curriculum in order to enable students to personalize the program to their own distinct collegiate cultures and environments.

Despite the diversity of our program our ultimate goal is the same – reduce the number of college students involved in car crashes.

With the support of the Texas Department of Transportation and the Houston-Galveston Area Council, TTI has been able to expand the program statewide.

How the program works

The U in the Driver Seat program is provided to selected colleges and universities at no extra cost to the campus. U in the Driver Seat can be utilized alongside an existing college group/program or stand as its own student organization. Regardless, each campus must have a designated UDS non-student sponsor to assist with the deployment of the program on the campus.

Each campus is provided educational resources to assist in activities and educating fellow students on the dangers of driving impaired. These resources are meant to provide beginning, consistent messaging so students can grow the program within their campus. Students help shape the program and are responsible for implementing it. TTI provides science, guidance, and base project resources.

If your campus is interested in starting a U in the Driver Seat program at your college, please feel free to contact us for more information. Program resources are limited.

Program Director

Lisa Minjares-Kyle, M.S., MCHES
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
(210) 321-1214 | [email protected]

Updated August 2022

Recent Posts

Traveling for the Holidays: Tips for a Safer Trip Home

Getting Around: Safety Tips for Taking Transit

Hey, I’m walking here! Some tips on how to stay safe on your way to class.

2019 1st Place Video Contest Winner

https://youtu.be/e7wTrfHIy2I

Our Sponsors

uprr-logo
txdot-sal-logo
hgac_square_75
TTI-Color-small

Copyright © 2023 Texas A&M Transportation Institute

All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
Comments, suggestions or queries? Contact Us!


Youth Transportation Safety Program
c/o Texas A&M Transportation Institute
1100 NW Loop 410, Ste 605, San Antonio, TX 78213-2255
Ph: (210) 979-9411
Fax: (210) 321-1299

Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3135
Ph: (979) 845-9008
Fax: (979) 845-9848