BELLEVUE, Wash. — Ishika Binu isn’t just looking out for her classmates at Interlake High School, she’s looking to protect as many teenage drivers as possible.
Binu has been been in Girl Scouts since she was in third grade and worked with them to develop an online club that she hopes will combat distracted driving and the concerning trend of accidents amongst teens.
Safe Drive Club is an online platform that encourages visitors to take the Drive Safe Pledge. Binu said it takes around five minutes to complete and reminds people that when they're driving, they're in charge of everyone's lives.
She admits her teenage friends are among those she is attempting to influence with the Drive Safe Pledge.
“Distracted driving is the leading cause of collisions among teens and simply being responsible enough to take the pledge and promise to respect the roads can save a lot of people from collisions or worse,” Binu said.
The inspiration for the Drive Safe Club came from a traumatic car crash she was in with her sister many years ago.
“The ambulance rushed us to the hospital and my sister still suffers from the whole experience so this seemed like an important project for me to lead,” Binu said.
She got the attention of Bellevue Mayor Lynee Robinson and an official proclamation declared the city will honor Driver Safety Awareness Day every September. Binu has also teamed up with 9-1-1 Driving School of Bellevue to offer a discount for pledge takers.
The Girls Scouts of Western Washington were so impressed with the project that they awarded Binu with the National Gold Scholarship.
Julie Wendell is the Chief Mission Delivery Officer with Girls Scouts of Western Washington and said Binu made the 110-year-old organization proud.
“The Gold award is Girl Scouts' most prestigious award, earned by high schoolers who use everything they’ve learned in Girl Scouts to fix a problem in their community and make a lasting change in their world,” Wendell said.
Binu said the scholarship will help her pursue college and boost her efforts to expand the Drive Safe Club beyond just King County.
To take the Drive Safe Pledge, visit the Safe Drive Club website.