In the amount of time it will take you to read this editorial, about two teens will be injured in a car crash.
With statistics like this it’s no wonder the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles launched a new Web site, takethewheel.net, geared toward teen driver safety.
The site’s launch occurred Monday in front of students at Leon High School and has a plethora of information for students and their parents.
It’s message is important, especially when getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage in an American teen’s life.
But during this period of excitement, many parents and teens forget the dangers in adolescent driving.
While driving, teens chat, eat and text, among other things, this can be very dangerous. Although there is a Graduating Licensing System in Florida, the process is fairly simple-sometimes it seems too easy. High school students aged 15 have to pass a written exam to receive a driving permit and at 16 they have to pass a final driving test at the DMV to get their licenses.
The process is even simpler when students are given a waiver to by-pass the DMV test after taking a driver’s education course in school.
Parents seem to forget that students may still be inexperienced. That’s why the Web site is a great tool; it reminds parents to be mindful.
Yes students have a license now, but parents should remember that with driving comes responsibility.
The Web site reveals the bad habits of student drivers and reminds parents of their responsibility to discipline their children.
A’sia Horne-Smith for the editorial board.