SAN ANTONIO – What started in 2012 as a high school driving safety club has evolved into a state-level campaign, as Johnson High School students continue to raise awareness and take their fight against distracted driving to the Texas State Capitol.
Maggie Williams, Kira Albino and Emma Ngaruiya, leaders of the Johnson High School Smart Driving Club, are pushing for stricter laws against phone use while driving, backed by alarming local safety data from their own school zones.
The students lobbied in the state capitol for stricter laws for drivers who use cellphones behind the wheel.
“It was really enlightening to see the issues in our school zones and cell phone usage while driving,” Williams said, highlighting concerns that prompted their activism.
The previous efforts by the club and former students have already yielded results closer to home. After a five-year campaign, the group successfully lobbied for the installation of flashing school zone lights near Johnson High School, addressing safety concerns along Evans and Bulverde Roads.
In August, KSAT reported this was an area that recorded nearly 460 school zone traffic violations in the previous year.
A growing impact
The Smart Driving Club, now boasting approximately 70 members across all grade levels, has expanded its influence beyond school boundaries. This year, the group installed a safety awareness banner outside the Bexar-Bulverde Fire Department.
“I wanted to make one just to remind people to stay safe and drive slow and not distracted, especially right outside of the school zones,” Ngaruiya explained.
From local action to state advocacy
The students recently took their campaign to the Texas State Capitol, advocating for stronger regulations on device usage while driving.
Albino, who has served as an officer for two years before becoming co-president, has been instrumental in spreading awareness through written articles and educational initiatives.
“There’s not too many cases where it’s so important that you can risk your life or other people’s lives,” Albino emphasized, underscoring the critical nature of their mission.
The club’s message resonates beyond the student body, attracting support from community members, including parents who have witnessed or experienced the consequences of distracted driving.
“Think about others on the road too, not just about yourself because what you do affects other people,” Ngaruiya said, summarizing the club’s core message.
The Johnson Smart Driving Club demonstrates that students don’t need to be drivers themselves to make a difference in traffic safety. It’s open to all grade levels.
Their combination of local action and state-level advocacy has created a model for student-led safety initiatives that other schools might follow.
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