def #232 10/24/07

ALIVE AT 25 - TEEN INTERACTIVE DRIVER SAFETY PROGRAM COMING TO OCEAN COUNTY

WARETOWN - When it comes to teenage drivers it all about choices and attitude.

"When young drivers get behind the wheel of the car, it's key they have the right attitude and they make the right choices," said Freeholder Director John P. Kelly, who serves as Director of Law and Public Safety. "This new initiative will help teach young drivers how to take control of situations by taking responsibility for their own driving behavior."

Kelly today joined with William Margaretta, president of the New Jersey State Safety Council, Lacey Township Police Chief William Nally, First Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald DeLigny and other state, local and county representatives in kicking off the "Alive at 25" program.

Margaretta noted that this defensive driving course developed by the National Safety Council is the only one in the nation based on attitude and choices.

"There are no long-winded lectures in this program," Margaretta said. "Rather, it's completely interactive.

"The opening session of the program asks the participants the problems they have when driving," he said. "These are the topics they identify with."

The four-hour program encourages young drivers to take responsibility for their driving behavior through a series of workbook exercises, interactive media segments, group discussions and role-playing. The first group of instructors - 24 police officers from Ocean County - were trained on Oct. 23 and 24 by Margaretta at the Ocean County Training Center, here.

Funding for the training was provided by a grant from the Division of Traffic Highway Safety and Rutgers.

"This goes beyond basic driver's education and teaches critical defensive driving techniques to young drivers once they have received their license and feel confident and experienced," Margaretta said.

Since the beginning of this year, Ocean County has seen the number of fatal accidents rise with many victims being young drivers.

In Jackson Township, since the beginning of the year, five teenagers have died in traffic accidents.

"It is apparent that we needed to do something pro-active to curb the high number of teen traffic fatalities," said Lacey Township Chief William Nally, who also serves as a vice president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. "The Alive at 25 program has received the full support of the Ocean County Police Chiefs Association and Ocean County's School Superintendent.

"Ocean County will be the first to have this program implemented countywide," Nally said.

Bruce Greenfield, Ocean County Superintendent of Schools, said the initiative is supported by school district superintendents throughout the county.

"This is a very important program," Greenfield said. "Any program that educates and raises awareness resulting in better and safer teenage drivers is a program we will work to implement into our schools."

Freeholder Kelly noted that in August, Ocean County hosted a teen driving conference, at which time the participants raised a number of concerns that affected them.

"The young drivers raised concerns about teens not using seatbelts, teens overcrowding their cars, teens not getting enough behind the wheel experience and parents not being involved in their driver education," Kelly said. "I believe the Alive at 25 program will address many of these concerns and will help better educate teens and promote safer driving habits."

Margaretta said that nationally about 30 young drivers die every day in accidents.

"That is an entire classroom of young men and women that die everyday on the roads," Margaretta said.

Margaretta said the program helps young drivers to recognize their behavior and to understand its consequences. First Assistant Prosecutor DeLigny noted the prosecutor's office fully supports the initiative.

"This is yet another step being taken by Ocean County and its many agencies to assist teenage drivers to be better, safer drivers," DeLigny said.

The program also has a component for parents so they can assist the young driver in their efforts to be a good driver. "Our kids are smart," Kelly said. "By providing them with the appropriate information and education we will all benefit and our roadways will be safer."


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