Safe Communities of Wood County announced today that there have been 14 fatal crashes in Wood County, compared to 8 at this time last year. This is an increase of 6 crashes to date.
October 18-24, 2015 is National Teen Driver Safety Awareness Week. “The fatal crash rate for drivers ages 16 to 19, based on miles driven, is four times higher than for drivers ages 25 to 69”, Safe Communities Coordinator Sandy Wiechman said. “We are hoping that Teen Driver Safety Week gets the word out to parents of teens, that it is never too early to start the discussion with their young driver about distracted and impaired driving”. We encourage parents to establish a safety contract with their teens in regards to distracted and impaired driving. Materials for a safety contract can be found at www.distraction.gov or www.impactteendrivers.org.
In Wood County last year, in 72.6% of crashes involving teens between 15-19 years of age, the teen driver was found to be in error. It is important that parents discuss the danger of the roadways with young drivers, and emphasize the importance of not driving distracted or impaired. Teens are encouraged to report any suspicious activity
they see on the roads to local law enforcement agencies.
For More Information:
- Jerrod Savidge, 419-352-2481
- Safe Communities Coordinator, Sandy Wiechman
- 419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu