LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clear Lake Area California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for teenage drivers and their parents/guardians.
The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at the CHP office in Kelseyville, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive, at the corner of Live Oak Drive and Highway 29.
The leading cause of death for Americans 15 to 20 years old is motor vehicle collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The CHP's goal is to reduce the death rate among teenagers as the result of these collisions.
“The CHP wants to make our resources available to parents and teens when they have questions or issues about new driver development. We want to make ourselves available to the public to allow them to call or come down to talk face to face regarding any issue,” said Lt Greg Baarts, commander of the Clear Lake Area. “This is a valuable program for parents and their newly licensed or soon to be licensed teen.”
The CHP’s “Start Smart” program is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers understand the critical responsibilities of driving and to understand that accidents happen, but collisions are 100 percent preventable.
The program is designed to provide teens and their parents/guardians with an interactive safe driving awareness class which will illustrate how poor choices behind the wheel of a car can affect the lives of numerous people.
“Start Smart” also focuses on responsibilities of newly licensed drivers, responsibilities of parents/guardians and, collision avoidance techniques.
Space is limited for this class and the Clear Lake Area CHP will be providing more classes throughout the year.
For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office at 707-279-0103.