Program helps prevent serious teen driver crashes
StreetSafe was launched in 2010 to prevent serious crashes involving teen drivers. Anyone under 21 who receives a traffic violation in Johnston County must attend the program, which involves learning behind the wheel with an instructor in the passenger seat.
Posted — Updated“We were leading the state in teenage fatalities on our highways,” Johnston County District Attorney Susan Doyle said.
“It allows them to encounter dangerous situations in a controlled setting,” Doyle said.
The program teaches teenagers about making good choices on the road.
“They’ll learn the importance of paying attention while they’re behind the wheel of a car and not getting distracted,” said Joe Fitzgerald, program assistant director.
Last year, 4,000 students went through the program across the state. The program currently operates in nine counties and will expand to 14 counties in March.
Fatal crashes involving drivers aged 16 to 19 in counties where StreetSafe operates have decreased by as much as 25 percent since the program started.
“This year we have gone down to one fatality,” Doyle said. “Certainly that’s one too many, but we have seen a significant decrease in our teenage fatalities.”
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