A driver safety class for new teenage drivers and their parents or guardians will be offered Oct. 20 by the California Highway Patrol in Sacramento.
The Start Smart program targets new and prospective drivers age 15 to 19 years old. The class, scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at CHP headquarters, 601 N. Seventh St., Sacramento, will cover collision avoidance techniques, driver responsibility, collision trends, distracted driving laws and alcohol-related driving laws. Participants also will have an opportunity to ask questions of CHP officers.
The Oct. 20 class is offered during National Teen Driver Safety Week. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers, according to a CHP news release. In 2009, there were 5,623 fatalities in motor vehicle crashes involving drivers 15 to 20 years old, including 988 drunken driving fatalities. Also in 2009, 619, or 16 percent of drivers under the age of 20 who were involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted while driving, including 138 drivers with cell phones.
Parents or guardians are encouraged to attend the class with their teenage driver. To register, call (916) 843-3310. Space is limited.
Funding for the CHP's Start Smart program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Administration.
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