The result of teen drivers racing, speeding, using alcohol, playing loud music and texting can be tragic. And a new video produced by students through the broadcasting and journalism program at Oak Mountain High School is connecting with students in Shelby County at a personal and emotional level that hopefully will have a positive impact on their decision making.

The Teen Safe Driving Program is a four-day program designed to make students think about their decisions behind the wheel or as passengers in vehicles.

A powerful portion of the program is a video that includes interviews with parents who have lost children in traffic accidents in Shelby County.

We applaud this project and the resulting program that was coordinated through the Shelby County Department of Community Services. We hope teens who see it will come away with a lasting impression of what can come from speeding, racing, using alcohol or otherwise being distracted while driving.

We can only hope the words of parents who have lost children in traffic accidents will reach the hearts and minds of those teen drivers. As the mobile exhibit shows, there is a &8220;grave reality&8221; behind the decision making of teen drivers.

We applaud this effort by Oak Mountain students, Sheriff Chris Curry, Shelby County Coroner Diana Hawkins, Chief Probation Officer Debra Roulaine, the board of education, the county commission, Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock and his office, the Shelby County Highway Department, the Shelby County Teen Driving Planning Committee, Rux Carter Insurance Agency, Travelers Insurance and such people who have helped to drive the message of safe driving home, including Dan Moran, Ocie Speer, Carol and Mike Hill and Julie Yeager.