This April, law enforcement officials including the California Highway Patrol are highlighting their efforts to promote safety for California Teen Safe Driving Week and National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

“Distracted driving is the number one killer of teens nationally. There are about 5,000 fatal automobile crashes involving teens nationally with 10 percent in California,” said Officer John Lutz with the Newhall CHP office. “In this valley, it’s prevalent. If you spend a moment at the youth grove, you’ll see there were 91 preventable deaths of the youth related to vehicle collisions.”

The Newhall CHP officers partner with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, other law enforcement and emergency officials to host programs and events including Every 15 Minutes, Start Smart and Impact Teen Drivers, which is a nonprofit public awareness and education program.

Five Start Smart classes have been held since January, Lutz said. One at the Canyon Country Library, Valencia Library, Newhall Library, one for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Vital Intervention and Directional Alternatives Program and one for the College of the Canyons Explorer Program.

“Every 15 Minutes” Offers Sobering Lesson For High School Students

The next event is planned to be held April 14 from 5-7 p.m. at the CHP Newhall Office, 28648 The Old Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91355, Lutz said. It is open to the public.

“This is designed as a driver’s safety education class for new and future licensed teen drivers and their parents,” Lutz said. “The laws have changed quite a bit for first year provisional license restrictions. This event also has a lot of information as well as statistics and equipment information about things they should be able to expect on the roadway.”

The CHP Newhall officers are also planning to host a car seat checkup event this month as well.

“Seat belts are just as easily important as driving habits,” Lutz said. “Fifty percent of people we lose in traffic collisions are because they weren’t wearing seat belts.”

Last week, two people were killed in a traffic collision on Soledad Canyon Road. Neither were wearing seat belts, Lutz said.

In honor of California Teen Safe Driving Week and National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Impact Teen Drivers and local law enforcement agencies are planning to meet for a news conference Wednesday, April 1 at 11 a.m. in Sacramento.

Joe Farrow, commissioner for the California Highway Patrol; Rhonda Craft, director for the California Office of Traffic Safety; Kelly Browning, executive director of the Impact Teen Drivers; and Maria Coyner, volunteer for the Impact Teen Drivers organization are expected to speak at the event.

Coyner, a Stockton resident, served time in state prison for a texting-and-

driving collision in 2013, which caused the death of a 24-year-old Nipomo man, according to a news release.  She now volunteers with Impact Teen Drivers to talk about how her careless act completely changed her life and ended the life of an innocent person.

Local teenagers will demonstrate the dangers of distracted driving by using Safetyville USA’s driving simulators while texting, talking, and eating – actions which drivers of all ages may think they can do safely while operating a motor vehicle, according to the news release.

“We want the community to recognize that CHP has several programs designed to educate new drivers — Start Smart, Every 15 Minutes, Impact Teen Drivers,” Lutz said. “They are very strong programs and this valley supports all of them.”

News Release

More than 200 law enforcement agencies, including the California Highway Patrol Newhall officers, are continuing their effort to save lives with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

They will increase education and enforcement efforts for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April and California Teen Safe Driving Week, the first week of April.

“Driving is a complex task, requiring a motorist’s full attention,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “Imagine driving for four or five seconds while blindfolded. That can be the effect of looking down while driving to send a text message. In the average time it takes to send a text message – less than 5 seconds – a car travelling 60 mph will travel the length of a football field.”

Collisions caused by distraction occur daily throughout California. In 2013, there were 50 people killed and nearly 4,000 people injured as a result of driver distraction.

Throughout April, officers in each of the CHP’s eight field Divisions will focus their efforts on educating the public about the dangers of distracted driving through local media interviews, visits to schools, and traffic safety presentations.

In addition, two dates (April 1 and 15) have been earmarked as special statewide education and enforcement days for all law enforcement agencies that are participating in the traffic safety campaign.

The urge to read and answer a text message when hearing the text notification can be enticing. The OTS has adopted the message of “Silence the Distraction” in new public service announcements aimed at getting drivers to turn off cellular telephones while driving so they will not be tempted. In addition, an outreach event featuring texting cartoon “emojis” will be touring community colleges throughout the state to engage the most vulnerable texters – 18- to 30-year-olds.

“No text, call, or social media update is worth a crash,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “With an average of less than a second to react to an urgent situation on the roadway, drivers need to have all their attention on the road.”

While distracted driving can take many forms and affects all road users, younger drivers pose a greater risk.

During California Teen Safe Driving Week, April 1-7, Impact Teen Drivers will focus on educating teens that the number one killer of teens – reckless and distracted driving – is 100 percent preventable.

“People are realizing everyday behaviors, such as texting or reaching for a dropped item, can be lethal when done behind the wheel,” Kelly Browning, Ph.D., Executive Director of Impact Teen Drivers, said. “The next step is more complicated—getting people to choose to change their behavior.”

Safe driving is the responsibility of all motorists. Parents, as role models, are in the ideal position to demonstrate good behavior to their children operating a motor vehicle.

“All of us who drive are responsible for keeping the roads safe. If you have teenagers in your family who are driving, make sure they understand the laws and what their responsibilities are as well,” Commissioner Farrow added. “The collective goal with this month-long campaign is to change the behavior of all drivers to eliminate distractions behind the wheel. That change begins with education.”

During California Teen Safe Driving Week from April 1-7, 2015, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Office of Traffic Safety, and Impact Teen Drivers will continue to emphasize the most deadly impact to teen drivers —reckless and distracted driving.

Moreover, teens will learn that their number one killer is 100 percent preventable, if drivers and passengers make good decisions.

“People are starting to understand that everyday behaviors, such as texting, eating, applying makeup, or reaching for something, can be lethal when done behind the wheel,” said Dr. Kelly Browning, Executive Director of Impact Teen Drivers. “In a recent study, over 98 percent of people reported that texting behind the wheel is dangerous, but 75 percent still report doing it. The propensity for people to rationalize distracted driving behavior—the ‘not me’ mentality—is a big part of the problem.”

“One of the most difficult tasks for any officer is notifying parents that their teenager was killed in a traffic collision, and it is even worse when the crash was totally preventable,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “Young drivers may not realize the magnitude of the aftermath of a fatal collision, and the emotional toll it takes. It is up to all of us – family, friends, experienced drivers – to set the right example, avoid distractions behind the wheel, and focus on our own driving.”

Research clearly shows that it is the cognitive distraction, not the manual distraction that presents the greatest risk behind the wheel. “We overestimate our abilities to multitask behind the wheel—the reality is our brain is not set up to do multiple tasks at once and do them well,” said Debbie Hersman, President and CEO of the National Safety Council. “A moment of distraction behind the wheel—even one time—can have devastating consequences.”

Impact Teen Drivers uses a multifaceted approach to educate teens and communities about the dangers of reckless and distracted driving. Through the What Do You Consider Lethal? program, teens are engaged and empowered to make good decisions behind the wheel and spread the safe driving message to their peers. In Parent-Teen Workshops, parents are taught that they are the primary influencer of their teen’s driving attitudes and behaviors—and that “Do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t work.

During California Teen Safe Driving Week, law enforcement agencies emphasize the need for a strong combination of education and enforcement to change driving attitudes and behaviors. They also stress that distracted driving injuries and fatalities are 100 percent preventable.

“We need to make distracted driving socially unacceptable, like driving under the influence of alcohol,” said Rhonda Craft, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “By combining education and enforcement to prevent distracted driving, we will make the roads safer for everyone.”

California Teen Safe Driving Week marks the beginning of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

ABOUT IMPACT TEEN DRIVERS

Impact Teen Drivers was created through the collaborative efforts of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the California Teachers Association, and California Casualty to provide education among teens, parents, and communities about the dangers of reckless and distracted driving. For more information about Impact Teen Drivers, or to set up a presentation in your area, please e-mail info@impactteendrivers.org or call 916-733-7432.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.