POSEN — Posen parents stand a better chance of welcoming their teen drivers home safely in coming years, thanks to a state-run program aimed at young drivers.

Posen High School is among about 35 state schools chosen for participation in the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and Ford Motor Company’s annual Strive for a Safer Drive program, designed to help teens make safe-driving choices.

During coming months, students will use $1,000 from the state to create a campaign to educate their classmates and community about traffic safety topics. Participants may be awarded cash prizes for their campaigns.

In 2020, the state’s 470,000 licensed teen drivers accounted for more than 7% of traffic deaths in Michigan, with half of those deaths being that of the driver, according to the Michigan State Police.