With prom and graduation seasons approaching, Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee hosts weeklong ‘No Empty Chair’ Campaign

Spring is here and that means prom and graduation seasons are quickly approaching.

On Monday, Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol hosted a press conference to shed light on the Governor Traffic Safety Committee’s ‘No Empty Chair’ Campaign, which has become an annual spring observance.

Its focus is to educate the public, specifically teenagers and young adults, the potential consequences from making poor decisions at prom and graduation parties, including things like drinking and driving. “This initiative is to keep teens safe so they can enjoy what is ahead of them – prom, graduation, and then moving on to the next step of their lives,” the Sheriff said.

“I urge all of our young drivers in Oneida County to value their lives and the lives of others when they take to the road,” Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr added.

County, State, and Local Law Enforcement will increase their presence in the vicinity of local High Schools throughout and will be vigilant about violations of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law, which is designed to provide time for young people to gain critical experience in various traffic scenarios.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee 2024 “No Empty Chair Campaign” educational & enforcement topics include:

• Monday, April 29th – Speeding in School Zones.
• Tuesday, April 30th – Seat Belt and Child Restraints.
• Wednesday, May 1st – Cell Phone Use and Texting.
• Thursday, May 2nd – Operation Safe Stop.
• Friday, May 3rd- Underage Drinking and Impaired Driving.

The 2024 statewide campaign is from Monday, April 22 to Friday, April 26.

To help educate teens about safe driving, state and local law enforcement agencies that have School Resource Officers (SROs) or a presence at high schools are encouraged to conduct outreach during this campaign and throughout the prom and graduation season.

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