Archives > News Update
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
The road ahead: Teen driving safety event to be held in Frisco
Every year, approximately 3,500 teenagers die in car accidents in the United States. Distracted driving is one of the most common causes of car accidents. Photo courtesy of State Farm.
By Anthony Tosie, atosie@starlocalnews.com
When teenagers first get their driver's licenses, parents are often filled with a mix of delight for the new stage in their children's lives as well as fear of what their children may face on the road. On Sept. 15, hundreds of teenage drivers will put their parents' fears at ease at a driving safety event at Stonebriar Centre Mall in Frisco.
The event, Celebrate My Drive, is being hosted by State Farm in conjunction with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Frisco Police Department, Teens in the Driver Seat and other organizations. Thirteen area schools have already signed up for the event, which will last from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., including Frisco High School.
Some of the activities at the event will include a driving simulator featuring an obstacle course, on-stage school spirit activities, educational demonstrations and other interactive programs.
Bernie Fette, senior research specialist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, said teenagers need to be aware of dangerous activities for new drivers, such as driving at night, speeding, distracted driving, not wearing seatbelts and underage alcohol consumption.
"Driving a car is like anything else that requires skill -- you're not going to be very good at it unless you have a lot of practice," Fette said. "All those risk factors are compounded by the fact that young drivers simply don't have much experience. And apart from that, just avoiding the things we know that create the greatest risk. Distractions, not only texting, but also from other teenagers in the car need to be avoided."
Fette added that approximately 3,500 teenagers die in car accidents in the United States every year, making it the No. 1 cause of injury and death for teenagers -- a position it's held for many years, he said.
Teens in the Driver Seat, an organization that is implemented by teenager drivers and supported by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, will be at the event to provide information about safe driving practices. Additionally, the organization will provide a pledge teenage drivers can sign to commit to safe driving.
"What's distinct about Teens in the Driver Seat is that we're a peer-to-peer program," Fette explained. "We, through funding from our sponsors, such as the Texas Department of Transportation, provide materials and help in getting a program started at schools. Then we step out of the way and let the teens drive the program. They have a great deal of influence on each other, so it makes sense to put them in that position -- we just make sure they have the tools to do that."
The Frisco Police Department will be hosting the outdoor demonstrations and courses, which will educate teenage event goers on safe driving habits. One of the demonstrations will provide event attendees with the ability to experience common distracted driving impairments, such as texting while driving.
Sgt. Brad Merritt, public information supervisor for the Frisco Police Department, hopes teenage drivers at the event will learn about the appropriate actions to take while driving.
"New, inexperienced drivers need to understand the dangers of driving, whether from distractions inside or outside of their vehicles," Merritt said. "Their main focus when driving should be on driving only. Cell phone calls, texts and other distractions can wait."
While events such as Celebrate My Drive have helped spread awareness for safe driving habits, teenagers still need to be mindful of safe driving habits, Fette said.
"Teen crash fatalities been on a pretty steady decline for the past several years, but crashes are still the No. 1 cause of death for young people, so we have to remain vigilant about continued improvements," he said.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News Update «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
