Courtesy of the California Highway Patrol:
The number one killer of young people in America is preventable car crashes. Statistics show that more than 75 percent of fatal collisions are caused by reckless and distracted driving. To help save lives, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Impact Teen Drivers are collaborating to provide awareness and education to teenagers, their parents, and community members about responsible driving.
“It’s alarming to know that San Benito County has the third highest teen driver fatality rate in California, due to reckless and distracted driving,” said Captain Scott Parker, Commander of the CHP’s Hollister-Gilroy Area office. “With the help of this grant, the CHP and our traffic safety partners are hoping to reverse the trend through education, outreach, and enforcement.” A group comprised of first responders, health professionals, and educators has been formed to provide reckless and distracted driving education to teens and parents. The efforts are being funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, which allows us to provide school presentations, parent-teen workshops, and all educational materials at no cost.
“Having the public’s support of the educational programing being offered is a key component to effectively eliminating the problem,” added Captain Parker. “Through traffic safety education, comes understanding; from understanding comes better choices, and making better choices leads to fewer crashes.”
If you have any questions or would like to know more about how you can become involved in our targeted educational efforts, please contact CHP Officer Chris Miceli at (408) 848-2324 x211 or [email protected].
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
