Kia Smith 
True Star recently powered the Teen Drivers Safety Fair, renamed Road Ready, for the 15th year in the row. Car accidents are still the leading cause of deaths among teens in the U.S. and True Star has partnered with State Farm to produce an immersive and educational experience surrounding road readiness.
Lisa Cooper from State Farm and Deshaun Adams from True Star lead the operation. Cooper, a Community Relations Specialist for State Farm, said, “We are really excited about the avenue that True Star brings with their connection to teens as well as the media aspect of what they do.”
This year we served 10 schools who were brought to the House of Hope and met with a variety of interactions. One of the most impactful being the seatbelt convincer. This activation straps a seat belt around the student and sends them into a collision at five miles an hour, showcasing the massive importance of wearing a seat belt.
Lyft was there hosting their own workshop promoting safety as there has been a huge spike in scooter related fatalities. Illinois State Troopers came out and spoke to the students about the massive responsibility that comes with being on the road.
After a big meeting was had with all the schools, Creation Global came out and brought massive energy that the students carried into the rest of their Road Ready stations. Some of the stations included conversations with CDOT, the Chicago Department of Transportation, and state police talking about what to do in case of a traffic stop.
This year, True Star had a media studio that served as its own station allowing the students to be on camera talking about the things they learned in the fair. At the studio we asked Cheyanne from Sullivan high school what she learned at the Road Ready fair so far. She said, “Safety is the biggest thing on the road.”
The entire purpose of the event is to get teen drivers to reach the same conclusion Cheyanne got to. By introducing teens to valuable information they need before assuming the huge responsibility of driving, we are making the roads safer for everyone.
The 2026 Road Ready fair was an absolute success and we can’t wait to do it again because we’re really making an effort to reduce car accidents by meeting the students where they are.
By Gary Langfield Jr.
Instagram: @ima_menace21
