Push for safe driving among teens a year-round effort, school leaders say

SAN ANTONIO – Educators and proscription officials crossed the state person spent this week spreading the connection astir harmless driving during National Teen Driver Safety Week.

Car crashes are the starring origin of decease among teens ages 15-18.

“A ton of my kids are going to beryllium driving soon and are driving now,” said Ryan Vernli, main of James Madison High School. “I privation to marque definite that they get present to field and get backmost to their families harmless and sound.”

Even though the week is wrapping up, schoolhouse administrators accidental it is simply a connection they volition proceed to thrust location year-round. James Madison High School is hosting a harmless driving programme for students adjacent week, reviving a programme paused due to the fact that of the pandemic.

“Last year, we didn’t person arsenic galore radical driving connected campus,” Vernli said. “It wasn’t rather arsenic large of a focus. But now, you know, we’re backmost to implicit 3,000 kids, and truthful there’s going to beryllium a ton of kids driving.”

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There volition beryllium interactive exhibits for students to explore, including an illustration of a conveyance struck by a train. That’s an important acquisition for the students, arsenic an progressive railroad crossing is conscionable down the thoroughfare from the school.

“We privation to beryllium definite that the students and the assemblage are alert astir the hazards of driving crossed the railroad tracks oregon astir the handrails erstwhile a bid is coming, truthful educating them connected making definite that they’re harmless and alert of their surroundings astatine each times,” said Janie Lopez, with the school’s PTSA.

The San Antonio Municipal Court has these reminders for teen drivers, and their parents, astir harmless driving behaviors:

1. No intoxicant oregon drugs. There is simply a zero-tolerance instrumentality successful Texas for drivers nether 21 years old.

2. No cellphone use. Cellphone usage is prohibited by the Texas GDL and for each drivers nether the property of 18.

3. No drowsy driving. The emblematic teen does not get capable slumber each night, making them much astatine hazard erstwhile driving.

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4. No speeding. Speeding is 1 of the apical 3 mistakes that teens marque erstwhile learning to drive.

5. No passengers. Passengers nether 21 successful the car are 1 of the biggest distractions for teen drivers.

6. Always deterioration a seatbelt! Most fatalities involving teen decease are caused by not buckling up.

While determination has been a diminution successful the fig of teen operator fatalities since 2009, determination were inactive 1,603 fatalities successful 2019. According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, determination were 2,042 fatalities wide from crashes involving teen drivers.

Have questions astir proscription oregon traffic? Let america know, and your reply whitethorn beryllium our adjacent story. Find past answers connected our traffic page.

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