Oak Forest High School Students 'Break' the Rules of the Road

They did it again.

Like last , has been awarded an Illinois Department of Transportation grant allowing teens the opportunity to educate their peers about driving responsibly.

The school is one of 105 in Illinois to receive the 2011 Operation Teen Safe Driving recognition.

The program is designed to help decrease the number of driving fatalities and injuries involving teenagers in Illinois. The initiative pairs with Ford Motor Company Fund's nationally recognized For Driving Skills for Life program, and the AllState Foundation's Keep the Drive.

Some students got a jump on the program on Nov. 2, with a visit from the Cook County Sheriff's Department. The students watched video demonstrations and also tried their luck at driving "drunk" in Fatal Vision goggles, and also walking the line of a field sobriety test.

With the guidance of Assistant Principal Dan Dunne, a group of students takes allotted funds and designs a program to get their peers thinking responsibly and driving safely. This year's program goes by the moniker "Bengals Always Drive Safe."

The program runs from December through the end of February, when the group prepares a PowerPoint to present to the Illinois Department of Transportation, Ford Motor Company Fund and the AllState Foundation. From there, the top programs are chosen as winners of additional funds for post-prom activities.

Dunne and the group plan activities like an on-hands demonstration with Fatal Vision goggles, which simulate driving drunk, and guest speakers aimed at educating on the dangers of texting while driving.

Two other schools were also recognized: and Bremen High School.

Stay tuned for more as the program kicks off.