John Jay High School is home to the oldest Safe Rides program in Westchester County. Safe Rides began in the early eighties when a group of high school students, with help from the Boy Scouts of America, designed and implemented a program to combat teen deaths due to alcohol-related automobile accidents.

Students at John Jay High School provide a free and confidential safe ride home to any registered student or recent graduate. There are many reasons for which a youth may be in need of a ride. A student may not be in a condition to drive safely, or may want to avoid being a passenger in such a situation. The majority of calls that John Jay receives fall in the latter category. The Safe Rides program encourages finding a safe ride for young people who are at risk in ways besides drinking or other substance abuse and find themselves in a no-ride situation. Networking with other Safe Rides crews throughout the County and in Connecticut can be done.

The program is operated under the auspices of the Venturing Program of the BSA by young men and women 15 through 20 years of age as a service to their peers. Adult involvement in minimized to guidance and advice. The program is in operation from September to June, on Friday nights from 10 pm to 2 am, and will run on Saturdays if sufficient student drivers are available. The telephone number is 914-763-7393.

For further information, please contact Dr. Linda Burke, Crew Advisor, at John Jay High School (lburke@klschools.org)