Did you know that California teen drivers are found at fault in 66 percent of all fatal collisions they are involved in, although they represent only 4 percent of the state’s licensed drivers.
Did you know that the leading cause of death for Americans ages 15 to 20 is motor vehicle collisions? That teenagers average twice as many accidents as adult drivers while driving only half as many miles, making the teen accident rate per mile four times that of adults? That if you are younger than age 18, your risk of a fatal accident is about 2.5 times that of the average driver and your risk of an injury accident is three times higher than the average driver?
The California Highway Patrol’s Start Smart program is a driver safety education class that targets new and future licensed teenage drivers ages 15 to 19, their parents and guardians.
CHP officers discuss traffic collision avoidance techniques, collision causational factors, driver/parent responsibilities, seatbelt usage, etc. The CHP offers the program to help newly and future licensed teen drivers become more aware of the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of being a licensed California driver.
The next Start Smart class will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Santa Barbara Red Cross, 2707 State St. To sign up, call the Santa Barbara CHP office at 805.967.1234.
Teen drivers must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Daniel Barba is a public affairs officer for the California Highway Patrol.