BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, according to California Highway Patrol.
Every day, about eight teenagers die due to motor vehicle crashes, with hundreds more injured, according to the CDC.
So what is the CHP doing to drive down these numbers?
Officer Jorge Toro with CHP Bakersfield says, “We go over crash avoidance techniques, we go over some of the primary crash factors, I show them a 20-minute video of a real-life case that happened in Santa Ana—a 16-year-old boy killed five of his passengers on the Santa Ana Freeway. We talk about the requirements on getting your graduate driver’s licensing, and we also go over a little bit about DUI.”
The Start Smart program is geared towards newly licensed drivers, targeting teens between 15 and 19 years old.
The free two-hour class teaches students and their parents life-saving skills and information to prepare drivers for any road bumps they may face.
Kristin Giese attended Start Smart with her daughter, Alexis.
“Our kids are like our hearts out there walking around,” said Giese. “... She unfortunately did get into two incidents. And so for me, I felt like it was really important that she understand what some of the consequences can be of having the responsibility of driving a car.”
Giese adds that the class goes in-depth, beyond the required driver’s ed training.
“... I honestly wish that it was a requirement that kids had to take this class,” said Giese.
Her daughter, Alexis Spurlock, said, “There’s a lot of good information when I did it that was pretty eye-opening and a good reminder because sometimes we think things can’t happen to us, but it definitely can.”
The monthly class is limited to 20 participants and is a first come, first serve basis.
“Our number one concern for our teen drivers is their safety,” said Officer Toro. “So if that is your utmost concern, why not put them in a free class that they can benefit from and make them that better of a driver?”
While the August Start Smart session is fully booked, CHP hosts the course on the second Tuesday of each month.
Following the monthly announcement, Officer Toro says to call 661-396-6600 to sign up.
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