Crime & Safety
Sign Up: Cops Teach Kids to Drive Safely
Hey parents, this is your chance to make your kids listen and hopefully not get in serious accidents.
Contributed by Gilroy CHP:
Distracted driving is a serious safety concern for all drivers throughout California, especially teen drivers. Eighty percent of vehicle crashes involve some kind of driver distraction. Talking on the cell phone or texting is the main source of driver distraction. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is urging teenage drivers to stop texting, put away cell phones, and focus on driving.
In an effort save lives, CHP alongwith Impact Teen Drivers will be conducting a year-long teen distracted driving traffic safety campaign through September 2013.
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California drivers age 20 years or older were involved in nearly 22,000 collisions from Oct. 1, 2009 - Sept. 30, 2010, in which a distraction was documented as a factor in the cause of the crash. As new drivers, teens are at an even greater risk of being involved in collisions due to distracted driving because of the peer pressures to stay immediately connected to their friends via text and cell phone.
Teenage distracted driving is one of the leading contributors to collisions and near collisions.
Find out what's happening in Gilroywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“The CHP is urging teen drivers to focus on driving. Eliminate the urge to text or call by putting awaythe distractions,” said Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Through education, enforcement, and the continuedpartnership between the CHP and Impact Teen Drivers, we can change this dangerous behavior.”
The 12-month, grant-funded Teen Distracted Drivers Education and Enforcement II campaign consists ofan education component, as well as distracted driver enforcement operations to be conducted throughout the state.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has again designated April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The CHP would like to invite Teens and their Parents to a Start Smart/Impact Teen Drivers Class:
WHEN: Tuesday, April 16 at 5 p.m.
WHERE: California Highway Patrol, Hollister-Gilroy Area Office, 740 Renz Lane Gilroy.
Please call the CHP office and reserve a seat for the Start Smart presentation at: (408) 848-2324.
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