CARLSBAD, Calif. — High schoolers from around the county will have their junior/senior prom this weekend. The National Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said car crashes are a leading cause of teen deaths.
From the fancy dresses to the beautiful corsages and boutonnieres, a lot of prep goes into getting ready for the prom.
But something many might not be thinking about is the dangers on the road for inexperienced teen drivers. Larissa Georgides got her license at 16 and knew people her age could easily get distracted.
“I have seen drivers go on their phones, and it’s been a little scary because they like to go into other lanes,” Larissa Georgides, the teen driver, said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more than 35 hundred people were killed in distraction-related crashes in 2021, and 225 of those killed were 15-19 years old.
Like most parents, Larissa's father was worried when she first got her license. So he installed a backup camera and parking sensors on a 2006 car.
“Being a first-year driver, you never know what’s going to happen the lack of experience is always an issue,” Pat Georgides, parent of a teen, said.
Pat and Larissa Georgides took a two-hour required class by the San Dieguito Union High School District to park on her high school campus, Start Smart, and Nancy Logan helped run it.
“Distractions are dangerous; the kids must have their eyes on the road. Unfortunately, cell phones and social media are always checking their social media,” Nancy Logan, San Dieguito Alliance for Drug-Free Youth.
Promoting safe teen driving is personal to Logan. Her husband was killed by an underage drinker speeding 41 years ago.
“Still, all these years later, all I can say is one bad decision causes a lifetime of consequences; it couldn’t be more true,” Logan said.
Logan says driving under the influence of marijuana has increased over the years, so they emphasize the importance of not driving while impaired, whether alcohol or drugs.
The Automobile Club said teenagers are more at risk for car accidents because they lack experience, and that’s why they applaud the state’s graduated provisional license, which doesn’t allow teenagers to have friends in the car until they’ve had their license for at least a year. It also sets the teen driving curfew between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the first year.
“I’m pretty cautious; I never hit a car or anything,” Larissa Georgides said.
Larissa hits her one-year driving mark next week, and her dad says it’s time for some important reminders.
“Proms, graduations, summer is almost here, and they’re at the point where they’re getting comfortable." Pat Georgides said. “I want her to understand how important this is; the car can be a weapon; it can cause so much damage not just to her but to somebody else."
The Automobile Club calls Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weened, the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers.
Driving experts say parents should remind students of cell phone usage rules while driving.
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