 |
|||||
|
Living Program encourages safe driving among teens (and their parents) Jeany
Llorente In 2000, Direnfeld said he wished there were a 1-800 number he could call to notify the parents of the speeding driver. Though that encounter was enough to drive him to develop the I Promise Program, two other things clinched the deal -- his experience providing brain-injury rehabilitation to young people injured in car crashes and having a son who would soon be a driver. Direnfeld will launch
the program on Monday throughout "I thought it
would be good to turn my attention to prevention," Direnfeld said
in a telephone interview from The program is a new initiative to reduce the risk of car crashes involving teens. It includes a parent-teen safe-driving contract and a public commitment to safe driving. A decal displaying a 1-800 number that encourages the public to report bad driving behavior is placed in the rear window of the car. "What's good for the goose is good for the gander," he said. "The parent will be bound by the same rules." Edna Rapp knows, a Westsider, said she believes that teens, though legally allowed to drive at 16, are not ready to drive on their own. "(I) don't think the kids get enough drivers ed," she said. To ensure that her children -- 15-year-old Stefanie and 20-year-old Stephen -- become safe drivers, Rapp added a few extras to the driving rules. When Stephen received his driver's permit, he and his parents signed a contract, which included 200 extra hours of driving time with them. The same will go for
Stefanie, a sophomore at Cara Johnston, an international
speaker, trainer and empowerment coach, has devoted the past seven years
to educating teens about safe driving. She will be the guest speaker
during the unveiling on Monday in In 1994, "She made a bad (decision). She choose to get in a car with someone who drove recklessly," she said. "Life is a choice. Think about it before you put yourself at risk." The program has gained
much support across the "It's a program that we truly back because we recognize that any behavior of a teen-age child is directly involved with the parent," said Sgt. Al Velarde, spokesman for the El Paso Police Department. Sandra Marquerz, owner and an instructor at SVM Defensive Driving, said the program sounds like one she would definitely support. "It will make everybody a little bit more conscious about (driving)," she said. "And when you have it in writing it will make it more concrete for the teen." Jeany
Llorente may be reached at jllorente@elpasotimes.com |
|
||||
|
By the numbers
· 8,175 teen drivers were involved
in fatal crashes; of those people killed, 3561 were teen drivers.
· An additional 362,000 were injured. · Societal cost was estimated at $32
billion. · 410 Canadian teens lost their lives in
crashes. · 29,321 were injured. · Teens are three to four times more
likely to be involved in a crash than any other age group. · In 1998, there were 2,107 teen crashes,
eight deaths and 1,287 injuries. · In 1999, there were 2,178 teen crashes,
14 deaths and 1,385 injuries · In the first six months of 2000, there were
1,026 teencrashes, four deaths and 670 injuries.
Sources: I Promise Program and Texas
Department of Public Safety I Promise · For information on the I Promise Program,
log on to www.ipromiseprogram.com.
· There is a $49 fee if insurance doesn't cover
it. To order a packet, contact |
