The Connecticut DMV, with assistance from State Farm, has launched a campaign called “You’re Not Just Along For the Ride,” aimed at dealing with the risks of teen drivers with passengers. Those risks go up substantially during May through August, which are the four most dangerous months of the year for teen drivers and their passengers, because during these months we see more teens with passengers on the road as “joyrides “ — teens on the road for fun. With summer joyrides come distraction, peer pressure, and misconduct.
The link below is to a TV appearance by Bill Seymour from Connecticut’s DMV and Ama Appiah, a high school student (and a very poised and articulate young lady), but this program and Bill and Ama’s words apply in every state in the nation.
Three days ago here in Connecticut an 18 year old passenger died in car with a 20 year old driver and another 16 year old passenger. The crash occurred after midnight. We don’t know the circumstances except that it was an all too familiar pattern — a young driver with teen passengers. Last summer in central CT we had ten such crashes in just a few weeks during the summer. Teens need to understand the risks, passengers need to understand that they are not just along for the ride, and parents need to be on high alert to prevent these very predictable and dangerous situations from occurring in the first place.
