Teens need to be road ready

The best way parents can help their teens become responsible drivers is to take an assertive approach, believes one local educator. That’s why Erin Powell, a Westlake parent and assistant principal of A.C. Stelle Middle School in Calabasas, started the “Is Your Teen Road Ready?” program six years ago.

This year, the free event takes place today, March 2 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Scherr Forum Theatre. Parents as well as teens between the ages of 15 and 20 who are already driving, or who soon will be, are encouraged to attend. The program includes a presentation with strong messages about the importance of safe driving.

This year’s presentation is especially important, added Powell, since speakers will cover the recent changes in state law affecting teen drivers, including when they can drive and with whom.

A new feature of the event is the distribution of a driving contract for parents and teens to review and sign. The contract includes guidelines for the use of the car, stating that the driver will follow the law, will not let anyone else drive and won’t drive past the state-set curfew of 11 p.m.

“Driving is a privilege that has to continue to be earned,” Powell said.

She urged parents to let teens know that it’s okay to call home without questions asked if the teen cannot drive safely home.

“You want the child to feel safe and secure enough to call home if you can’t drive competently,” Powell said.

Consider the most recent teen driving statistics: two out of five deaths among teens in the U. S. are due to car crashes, according to statistics published by the Na

tional Center for Injury Prevention and Control. In 2002, more than 5,000 teens ages 16 to 19 died of injuries caused by car accidents, and the risk for crashes is higher among that age group than any other. The estimated economic cost of police-reported crashes (fatal and nonfatal) involving drivers ages 15 to 20, in 2002, was $40.8 billion.

“Some parents are really excited

about their kids

getting a car because they don’t have to chauffer them anymore,” Powell said. “But in relinquishing that responsibility they have to ask themselves, is my child really ready for this? Are they showing they are by the choices they’re making in their lives?”

To help parents answer those questions, several speakers are scheduled to give presentations. New to the program are Dep. Mike Woodard of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, who will discuss navigating the court system in handling traffic tickets, and Dr. Steven Trudeau, program director of the Stirling Behavioral Health Institute, who will address parent/ teen communication.

Speakers returning to the program are Chris Cordeiro of Prudential Insurance; Larry Selditz of Road Safety International Inc.; Sue King of the California Department of Motor Vehicles; and Sgt. Kevin Mauch, a retired Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station traffic officer.

The event begins with sponsor and vendor exhibits from 6:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the presentation from 7 to 8 p.m. The sponsor and vendor exhibit will continue after the talk, from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak face-to-face with leaders in driver’s education and view an actual vehicle involved in a crash.

Powell says programs like “Is Your Teen Road Ready?” have made a difference and must continue. “We’re not hearing about as many fatal accidents in our community as we once did,” Powell said. ‘We want kids to realize the responsibility they carry when behind the wheel.”