FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2005
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8409
Or your local Community Relations Officer
HIGHWAY PATROL BEGINS FINAL EXAM TEEN DRIVING CAMPAIGN
ENFORCEMENT TO REDUCE TEEN COLLISIONS
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol begins a special enforcement emphasis this weekend, which will run through May 14, 2005, to fight teen fatalities and collisions. The Final Exam enforcement campaign goes hand-in-hand with an education campaign by SCDPS in conjunction with Law Enforcement Networks (LENs) statewide in high schools and churches to prevent teen fatalities.
The Highway Patrol began the Final Exam campaign last year. The enforcement focused on school zones during the last few weeks of school. The goal was to leave an impression with students as they left school for summer, particularly in regard to buckling up. This year is a continuation of that effort but will focus on weekend nights, when the fatalities and collisions are primarily occurring, and will draw from 2004 data on teen-involved collisions to guide the enforcement locations.
“This is a dangerous time of the year for our teen-agers as we head into prom season and the end of school,” said Colonel Russell F. Roark III, SCHP Commander. “Teens are excited about summer and end-of-school activities, but we want to emphasize that this is not the time for them to let down their guard. We are calling on teens to help us by obeying the law, slowing down and buckling up.”
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds. In 2004, 114 teens 15-19 years old were killed in vehicle collisions; 106 were motor vehicle occupants; only 19 of the 106 were buckled up; of the 2,391 injured, only 1,510 were buckled up. The primary contributing factors in collisions involving South Carolina teens include: excessive speed, aggressive driving, wrong side of the roadway and driving under the influence.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol has developed a highway safety curriculum, including multimedia presentations for various age groups. The teen presentation includes graphic collision photos, stories of mothers who have lost their teens and various laws and penalties. It is designed to get the attention of teens and change driving behavior. Highway Patrol Community Relations Officers and a select team from local agencies are visiting high schools around the state every day in an effort to reach as many students as possible. Our goal is to get our message to every high school in the state.
The Highway Patrol also has added a new component to its education campaign this year called Final Exam: Impact. The Impact program will focus on working with parents and teens in churches throughout the state. Impact is designed to improve communication between the parents and teens about driving issues and to impress upon teens the full “impact” of their driving decisions and how their mistakes in a motor vehicle can be deadly.
Currently, the Highway Patrol is focusing on churches in the following counties, which are statistically the worst for teen collisions and fatalities: Richland, Horry, Lexington, Berkeley, Florence, Orangeburg, Aiken, Sumter and Darlington. Families who have lost teens in collisions will team up with the Highway Patrol to speak at the forums.
For more information on the Final Exam Impact program or to take the Safe Driving Pledge, log on to www.schp.org/finalexam. Churches or schools interested in inviting troopers to present a teen program may contact Debbie Brown at 803-896-9943.
Media interested in doing a story on the enforcement efforts, please contact your local SCHP Community Relations Officer.
Teen Driving Pledge (may be taken online at www.schp.org/finalexam):
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