Virginia teens and law enforcement agencies are uniting in the Valley this week to give young drivers a positive influence behind the wheel.

The group, Youth of Virginia Speak Out or YOVASO, is holding a three-day retreat to raise awareness about driving safety, since car crashes are the top killer of teens each year.

YOVASO president Zack Divers recalls a shocking discovery while he was at a checkpoint with police.

"We found a Jeep that had, I think it was three pounds of Marijuana, $7,000 cash, a case of moonshine, Meth. It was crazy," says Divers.

He was proud to have taken part in the enforcement effort.

"To do something like that really sends an image across, not only our community, but the state in saying that we're not going to put up with it anymore, and we're going to stop it," says Divers.

The conference is for students who want to be advocates for highway safety. Students take what they learn from the conference back to their schools in hopes of saving lives.

Buckling up is a big issue. More than 60 percent of teens killed in crashes are not wearing seat belts.

Program administrator Mary King says the conference is mainly effective because teens listen to other teens.

"We've had a lot of speakers who have driven home the point that of how serious it is, and that really the only ones that can make a difference are teenagers themselves. Adults don't really have that much of an impact on students," says King.

Speakers like Cpl. Clayton Justice hope to have an impact. At a Thursday night vigil to remember 125 teens killed in crashes last year, he reflected on the tragic death of his cousin, who was killed by a drunk driver.

"As long as I'm in law enforcement, I will tell Deanna's story to educate young adults about this serious matter. Every 30 minutes, someone is killed in the United States by a drunk driver," says Justice.

YOVASO says more than 1,377 teens have been killed in traffic crashes statewide in the last decade.