Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens, according to AAA Hawaii, with some 15,000 teens killed or injured in vehicle crashes across the nation every year.
In an effort to lower these statistics, AAA Hawaii is for the third year offering "Dare to Prepare," a free workshop to help parents and teens prepare for their most dangerous years on the road. The program is not intended to replace driver’s education, said AAA Hawaii manager Liane Sumida, but to facilitate early discussion of driver safety issues before teens actually receive their learner’s permit.
"It provides critical information for parents and teens in the age group of 13 to 16, so they know what they need to know before taking the wheel," Sumida said. "One of the major things (teens) need to understand is that driving is not a right. It’s a privilege."
The two-hour workshop walks families through the steps necessary to obtain a learner’s permit and driver’s license, and provides tools to help with the learning-to-drive process. Itcovers parents’ and teens’ roles and responsibilities, insurance coverage and Hawaii’s three-stage Graduated Driver Licensing program, which all teens under 18 have been subject to since 2006.
The two hours go by quickly, said Roberta Carvalho, an insurance service representative at AAA Hawaii who took the class with her daughter, then 17, last year.
"It was fun," she said. "It was a very good conversation. It was a good way to spend time with my daughter and talk about serious stuff. It was very informative."
DARE TO PREPARE
Three free, interactive workshops for parents and teens cover what to know before taking the wheel (for pre-permit drivers ages 13 to 16):
>> Oct. 21: 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. at Hawaii Okinawa Center, 94-587 Uke’e St., Waipahu.
>> Oct. 20 and 22: 6 to 8:15 p.m. at Pomaikai Ballrooms, Dole Cannery, 735 Iwilei Road.
>> Reservations required: Call 529-5027 or visit AAA.com/safety4teens |
More interactive than lecture-style, the class features games that let participants earn "driving dollars" redeemable for prizes at the end of class. Teens also get to grade their parents on a driving report card.
Participants try on goggles that simulate vision impaired by alcohol or what it’s like to drive while distracted, a particular emphasis of the program.
Carvalho said that for her daughter, who now has a driver’s license, the exercise with goggles drove home the message about the dangers of driving impaired. They were also unaware of curfews and restrictions under the Graduated Driver Licensing program. Overall, she said it made the process of applying for a driver’s license less stressful for both of them.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that drivers who use hand-held devices while driving are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves or others. Drivers in their 20s make up 27 percent of the distracted drivers in fatal crashes. Drivers under the age of 20 text more than any other group of drivers.
"It’s a message that we really feel is important," said Sumida.
Hawaii law bans the use of hand-held mobile electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers under 18 are banned from talking on cellphones, even with hands-free devices.
At the end of the workshop, participants sign a parent-teen agreement, outlining the expectations for both parties.
Space is limited; reservations are required.
