Safe High School Driver Program
16 February 2000
Contact: John Cardinale Sears Point Raceway (707) 938-8448 X107 CHP Catches 400 Teens Speeding at AAA's High School Safe Driver Program at Sears Point Raceway Teens Learn Life-Saving Driving Skills From Jim Russell's Professional Drivers SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) -- The California Highway Patrol does not issue a single speeding ticket to any of the 400 Bay Area teens who will slam on the brakes and skid out of control at Sears Point Raceway during AAA's High Safe School Driver Program, Feb. 28-March 2. That's because these young drivers are encouraged to put the pedal to the metal and burn rubber, while learning some life-saving driving techniques. Sponsored by AAA, CHP, Sears Point Raceway and Russell Racing School, this driving program teaches students enhanced braking, skid and control skills, and accident avoidance techniques within the safe confines of Sears Point Raceway. Students will also receive classroom instruction on vehicle dynamics from professional driving instructors of Russell Racing. After completing the program, professional race car drivers will take the students for thrilling "hot laps" around the racetrack. "Crashes are the leading killer of teens ages 15 to 19, responsible for one in three deaths," said Merry Banks, manager of AAA's Traffic Safety Department. "California's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law and enhanced driver education are key elements to improving the safety of young drivers on our highways." California's tough new GDL law is apparently having its desired effect. Records from the CHP comparing the first quarter of 1999 with the same quarter of 1998 show an impressive 20 percent decline in accidents with fatalities and injuries where the at-fault driver was younger than 16. According to the CHP, 314 teens between 16 and 18 were killed and almost 80,000 teens were injured in crashes in 1998 in California. But an improved licensing system is not the only answer, says Banks. For many years, driver's education was part of most high school curriculums. In recent years, these programs have fallen victim to funding cuts. "Despite the increase of teenage drivers, the number of high schools offering driver's ed has been cut in half in the past 20 years," continued Banks. "Those schools that continue to offer this training use standards established almost 50 years ago. AAA's Safe High School Driver Program offers cutting edge training, and challenges teen drivers to be a part of the solution." The Safe High School Driver Program's eight training sessions are scheduled for Monday, February 28 through Thursday, March 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, rain or shine. The eight Bay Area schools participating in this year's program include: Fairfield High School (Monday, Feb. 28, 8 a.m.) Gunderson High School-San Jose (Monday, Feb. 28, 1 p.m.) Ygnacio Valley High School-Concord (Tuesday, Feb. 29, 8 a.m.) Las Lomas High School-Walnut Creek (Tuesday, Feb. 29, 1 p.m.) Napa High School (Wednesday, March 1, 8 a.m.) New Technology High School-Napa (Wednesday, March 1, 1 p.m.) San Rafael High School (Thursday, March 2, 8 a.m.) Terra Linda High School (Thursday, March 2, 1 p.m.) Note to editors: Numbers of highway fatalities and highway injuries for drivers between the ages of 16 and 18 are available for each Bay Area County for 1998, and for January through September, 1999. ###
