Teens, Parents, Benefit from Safe Driving Tips at Forum

Rep. Williams enjoys a light moment with Watertown constituents Richard Halligan, center, and his daughter Lynzee, 15, after a May 7th forum on teen driving at the Swift Middle School.

An appreciative audience of about 65 parents and teenagers warmly applauded five speakers who shared their wisdom about safe driving with them at a Teen Driving forum hosted by state Representative Sean Williams and state Senator Rob Kane May 7th at the Swift Middle School in Oakville.
The speakers included Watertown Police Sgt. Fred Sprano; Watertown High School Principal Matt Geary; Attorney Tim Hollister of West Hartford, a parent who lost a child in a teen driving accident and served on Governor Rell’s Teen Safe Driving Task Force; Lauren Iannucci, youth coordinator for the Connecticut chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving; and Brandon Dufour, owner of All-State Driver, Connecticut’s largest driving school.

“All of the speakers had valuable advice for both newly-licensed teen drivers and those who are just learning the fundamentals of safe driving,” said Representative Williams, R-68th District. “Many of the teens who attended the forum were accompanied by their parents. Many of those parents are teaching their teenage children how to drive while others are supervising their newly-licensed children and helping them practice the skills they learned in driving schools. All of them came away from the event with information that will help them become better and safer drivers. The size of the turnout was a clear indication that Watertown high school students and their parents take responsible driving very seriously.”

“”I was happy to see so many teenagers and parents at our forum. Getting a driver’s license is exciting, but the privilege comes with a lot of responsibility. Understanding the teen driving laws, and obeying them, is an important step toward becoming a safe, responsible driver. The parents who attended with their teens sent a strong, positive message about the importance of safe driving. Their positive attitude, along with what they learned at our forum, will serve them well during these early driving years,” said Senator Kane, R-32nd District.

“Even if you obey all of Connecticut’s driving laws, as a newly-licensed driver, you are still at considerable risk of a serious or fatal injury,” Hollister said. “You are inexperienced behind the wheel and the area of your brain that evaluates risk is not fully developed yet. That means you must be extra cautious and avoid behavior behind the wheel that puts you at high risk of injury or death such as speeding, reckless driving, drinking or drug use, and using cell phones while driving.”

“If you are a passenger in a car that’s being driven dangerously, make up an excuse that will force the driver to pull over and let you out such as: ‘I’m feeling sick and I feel like I’m about to throw up in the back seat of your car,’ ” Hollister added.

While parents are behind the wheel and their teenage children who are learning to drive are passengers, parents should take the opportunity to explain what they are doing at any given time during the trip and what their children should be doing in similar situations. Parents also should teach their children how to drive in rain and snow to ensure they have the skills they need to handle a motor vehicle in inclement weather, but to provide the instruction in a controlled and safe environment, Dufour said.

Parents also need to “keep lines of communication open with their kids” so teenagers know how to contact them in dangerous situations – especially those involving other teens who have been drinking and intend to drive. Teenagers should never get in a car with a teen driver who has been drinking. Instead they should call their parents and ask them to come and pick them up, Iannucci said.