State Police “No Empty Chair” Campaign Ends Today, But the Message Should Stay With Ithaca Drivers

Today, Friday, April 24, is the final day of this year’s New York State Police “No Empty Chair” Teen Driver Safety Campaign, a statewide effort focused on keeping young drivers safe during one of the most exciting and risky stretches of the school year.

The campaign is timed around prom, senior events, and graduation season. Its name carries the whole message: No Empty Chair. No missing student at graduation. No family left with an absence that should have been prevented.

This week, State Police and local law enforcement agencies focused on specific safety issues each day:

Monday: Underage drinking and impaired drivingTuesday: Seatbelts and child restraintsWednesday: Cell phone use and textingThursday: School bus safety through Operation Safe StopFriday: Speeding in school zones

While today marks the last scheduled day of the campaign, the reminder does not expire at midnight.

Here in Ithaca, safe driving is an everyday responsibility. Local students, parents, teachers, cyclists, pedestrians, and bus riders all share the same roads. From school zones and neighborhood streets to Route 13, rural backroads, downtown intersections, and the busy areas around Cornell and Ithaca College, one careless moment can carry a lifetime of consequences.

That is especially true for teen drivers, who are still building experience behind the wheel. A quick text, an extra passenger distraction, a little too much speed, or the decision not to buckle up can turn an ordinary drive into something devastating.

The State Police campaign is aimed at enforcement, but the heart of it is prevention. Tickets and points are one thing. An empty chair at graduation is another.

As Ithaca heads deeper into spring, with warmer weather, school events, senior celebrations, and more people out walking and biking, this is a good time for families to have a simple conversation: drive sober, slow down, wear your seatbelt, stop for school buses, and put the phone away.

The campaign may end today, but every day is a good day to drive safely.

For graduating seniors and the people who love them, the goal is beautifully simple: get there, celebrate, and come home.