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Safe-driving session is geared toward teens and their parents
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With graduation season near, the California Highway Patrol office in Ventura will host a safe-driving workshop this week for teens and their parents.
"The idea is to reduce the death toll from teen-related accidents," said Officer Shawna Davison, a spokeswoman for the CHP in Ventura.
The workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the CHP's Ventura office, 4656 Valentine Road. Anyone wanting to attend can phone Davison at 477-4100 for more information.
Davison said California has the second-highest fatality rate in the nation for drivers 15 to 20 years old.
The workshop will come a week after a 16-year-old Fillmore student was killed after losing control of her car on Grand Avenue north of town.
Danielle Barrett's car veered across the road Thursday afternoon and overturned several times before coming to rest on its wheels in an orange grove, authorities said. She was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car, police said.
Barrett was taken to Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura, where she was treated for head trauma and internal injuries. She died Thursday evening.
Three teens riding with Barrett suffered cuts and scrapes.
On Friday, four Buena High School students were injured when the car they were riding in rolled several times as it exited northbound Highway 101 at Telephone Road in Ventura. Davison said the driver, Ansh Seth, 18, was injured, along with passengers Andrew Berg, 18, and two minors.
Investigators said the car made an unsafe turn as it exited the highway, causing it to roll over several times before landing in a dirt and asphalt drain. Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to extract one of the teens from the car, Davison said.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Stephen Wallace, a school psychologist and chairman of Students Against Destructive Decisions, a peer youth education group with chapters throughout the country, said some 300,000 teens were injured in traffic accidents in 2007. Of these, nearly 8,000 were in a crash in which someone was killed. More than 3,500 teens were killed in vehicle crashes last year.
While these numbers are high, they're significantly lower than when Wallace's organization was founded in 1981. More than 6,000 teens were killed in alcohol-related crashes alone during that year, Wallace said.
Wallace credits much of the decrease in deaths to "increased awareness" by teens and others. Nevertheless, he said, teens still have the highest crash risk of any age group.
"There are still far too many teens who are either being severely injured or killed unnecessarily," Wallace said.
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Posted by AnnaWhaat on May 6, 2008 at 6:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think all teens should attend this driving session. Even if your a great driver. Its got great information and could save a life.
Posted by Ms_California on May 6, 2008 at 6:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think this course should be mandatory for both parents and teens who are driving or learning to drive. They should have behind the wheel training as well. So maybe they can see or feel the fear when the car is skidding off a road. Tough love and scare tactics are the best things for these kids. I also think the driving age should be increased as well. Maybe the teen death rate wouldn't be so high.
Posted by santabarbarasand on May 6, 2008 at 7:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I work as an insurance agent and get calls almost daily from parents who complain that the rates for their teens are too high. Well, looking at the statistics, it's not a shocker is it? Teen drivers take the most risks while in their vehicle and are most distractable. The insurance industry charges an arm & leg to insure them. Maybe having teens take a mandatory course in safety AND having them maintain good grades (insurance company's give a good discount for GPA's of 3.0 or better) AND have them help pay for the insurance, would help them to be more accountable. While many teens are responsible, we still hear about "good kids" not wearing their seatbelts, driving under the influence, speeding and being reckless, etc. Just because they are 16 and old enough to get their license doesn't mean that parents should just hand them over the keys! Too many people do it because it makes their life easier for their kid to be able to get themselves around. I also believe that driving priveledges should come at least a year later for teens and that they should have to earn the priveledge by showing safety for a lot longer than 6 months.
Posted by 2smokingbarrels on May 6, 2008 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think we are being way too harsh on teen drivers these days. Most of my experiences with bad drivers have not been with teens but the elderly, women, and asians. However, I don't think they should have to attend special courses. Might want to take away there make-up and cell phones though. Most bad drivers fall into one general category, ignorant. Ignorant of the speed limits and laws but also ignorant of what is going on around them. If you are in the fast lane in a 45 miles/hr zone, DON"T drive 15. And if you see a car coming behind you, get out of the lane. Its basic courtesy. Get out of the way. In other words, don't focus on one group, focus on all!
Posted by Brucevacumesrooster on May 6, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with you 2smoking barrels. But what about the Yeppas? They have to drive slow because they do not want to lose another spinning hubcap off of their 1983 Toyota Tercel. If they go to fast, the 2005 Mustang bumper might fall off too. They are not ignorant...it is just these cars cannot travel fast when they are held together with bubble gum and duct tape. As for the elderly, we should offer free bus passes...get them off the street. If they are over 80 no more driving what so ever.
Posted by Face on May 6, 2008 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They should hold the workshop in the morgue to wake these kids up.
Posted by whattothink on May 9, 2008 at 10:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My son an I attended this workshop. Wow! Good stuff. Lot's of useful and up to date information. Excellent for both the soon-to-be driver as well as us "old" drivers. This course should be required for families. Hopefull the CHP will offer more classes. It was a FULL house. Thanks CHP!!
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