TRACTION Conference empowers youth to take an active role in promoting safe driving habits in Missouri communities

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Young adults and teen attended the TRACTION(Teens Taking Action To Prevent Traffic Crashes) Conference on Monday July 21, 2025 held at the Drury Hotel and Conference Center in Cape Girardeau.

In a powerful demonstration aimed at educating young drivers on the harsh consequences of driving under the influence high school students gathered here at the Drury Conference Center in Cape Girardeau for a DWI crash re-enactment.

Breyden Harris, has attended the TRACTION Conference for the past 6 years, first as a student and now as a conference facilitator. TRACTION holds multiple conferences each year and is meant to empower youth to take an active role in promoting safe driving habits in Missouri communities through a crash re-enactment, guess speakers who share they’re real-life experiences and sharing the names and counties of the many teens who pass away in Missouri each year in traffic crashes.  

“In small areas like the one that were in a lot of people think that there’s no dangers to drinking and driving because were on smaller roads” says Harris. “Less interstates, less highways less traffic, but that doesn’t matter, and it can happen anywhere it can happen right down the road from your house; you can get into a crash because someone made a bad choice.” 

The session is graphic and feels like a real-life experience. Cape Fire Department and Police Department rushed to the scene as teen actors cried as one of their friends left with the coroner and one left in handcuffs. Giving very emotional and raw experience.

Hunter Ritter is now a patrolman, but he also attended the conference as a young student driver, and he says the conference was impactful to him.

“Ya they’re the next generation and they’re in a spot that I was in” says Ritter. “They’re still very young and impressionable. As someone who’s going to be dealing with this kind of stuff it’s important for me to know that they’re taking it seriously and they’re being attentive and all that kind of good stuff.”  

The event is held every year and coordinated by the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Cape Girardeau Police Department as part of TRACTION(teens taking action to prevent traffic crashes) in an effort to prevent youth related traffic crashes. Ritter says he believes the conference leaves a big impact. 

“Just seeing young people take initiative to come to this conference and then taking it back to their respectful communities, that’s what I feel like really makes a difference” says Ritter. 

For more information: TRACTION – Teens taking action to prevent traffic crashes