Forum on tragedy of careless teen driving
MEG BARONE, Correspondent
Article Last Updated: 02/28/2008 12:54:09 AM EST
NEW HAVEN — News accounts on the recent motor vehicle deaths of about a dozen Connecticut teenagers, including two in Milford this month, may seem abstract to those not directly affected by the tragedies. Members of the Governor's Task Force on Teen Driving want to drive home the harsh realities that result from irresponsible and inexperienced drivers behind the wheel.
They held their latest public forum at Hill Regional Career High School Wednesday, listening to heart-rending testimony from relatives of teens killed in crashes and getting suggestions about prevention measures from a law enforcement official and a driving school instructor. Holly House, of Stratford, the aunt of Donald "DJ" Art, of Milford, who died at age 17 in a single- vehicle accident in Orange last July, told the task force she contacted 12 local schools after her nephew's death and was disappointed to learn few had active Students Against Drunk Driving programs. House said her nephew had a blood alcohol level over the legal limit at the time of his accident. Speed also played a factor.
Since the accident, House said she and her family have been trying to start a Safe Rides program "not only to stop another teen from getting in a car drunk, but to educate other teens and parents about safe driving." Michael Monaghan, an owner of Rae's Driving School in New Haven County, said teens should learn to drive from professionals, not their parents.
He said most parents are not familiar with state driving laws. Also of concern to him is that parents with bad driving habits are likely to pass them on to their children even inadvertently. Monaghan said there should be an immediate license suspension for a first offense related to speeding, non-use of seat belts and violations of the passenger restriction regulations for new drivers, and their parents should be informed of the suspension.
State Police Lt. Jim Salzano, commanding officer of Troop I in Bethany, took it a step further. He said he would like to see the state reintroduce the point system that suspended licenses of any motorist who had three violations in three years. Salzano said he has witnessed the tragic results of too many teen motor vehicle fatalities, including two girls who died while text-messaging each other even though they were both in the same vehicle while one was driving.
Sherry Chapmann, a task force member and co-founder of the teen driver safety program Mourning Parents Act, or !MPACT, said 6,000 teens lose their lives in traffic accidents annually. "That's like two 9-11 attacks per year but they're only taking out teens. It's a public health epidemic," said Chapmann, whose 17-year-old son Ryan was killed in 2002.
Throughout the proceedings, four young faces smiled into the audience of about two dozen people from their poster-size photographs, including that of 16-year-old Alyssa Roy, of Farmington.
On Aug. 23, 2007, her parents were forced to join what her father David Roy called "The Mourning Families' Traumatic Grief Due to Teen Driving Club." "Eleven children, 10 families in less than six months. This must stop," Roy said. Taylor Jennett, 14, of Litchfield, said teenagers need to understand the responsibility that comes with driving. "When they're handed their license, they're handed a weapon," she said.
Dr. J. Robert Galvin, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health and chairman of the task force, said members are examining the existing laws, listening to comments and will ultimately make recommendations to Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
"Are we licensing people too soon, are we not training them properly, what about alcohol and other prohibitive substances in the vehicles," he said. Robert Ward, commissioner of the state Department of Motor Vehicles and task force co-chair, said the recent statistics "reinforces the need to strengthen the graduated licensing laws."
The task force will hold more public forums this spring. For more information visit www.ct.gov/teendriving. Those unable to attend the meetings are invited to share their opinions by sending an e-mail to teen.driving@ct.gov.
