Last year, 64 people lost their lives on Fairfax
County roads. Of those deaths, an astonishing 15 fatalities
were people 21 years and under, or 23 % of the total. The
National average is 14%.
We have a problem in Fairfax County. Our children
are our most precious resource and we must take action to
address this growing concern.
National experts tell us that more than any
age group, teens are likely to be involved in a single car
crash. Teen drivers killed in motor vehicle accidents had
a youth passenger in the automobile 45% of the time. Of teen
drivers fatally injured in automobiles, more than one third
were speed related accidents. Teenagers make up 7% of licensed
drivers, but suffer 14% of fatalities and 20% of reported
accidents. Increasingly, young women are the victims.
On January 10, 2005, the Board of Supervisors
unanimously approved my motion to create a set of actions
designed to work with the Schools, the Police, parents and
young drivers in order to encourage and promote greater safety
among the younger drivers of Fairfax County. We must save
these young lives.
My initiative asked the County Executive in
consultation with the Chief of Police and the Superintendent
of Schools and others to assess, with all dispatch, this set
of initiatives and return to the Board with recommendations
for implementation of a plan designed to save teenage lives.
The following 10 areas were identified in the
motion:
-
Transform our school driver education programs.
-
Encourage parental agreements before teens
get their learners permits and later, their licenses.
-
Develop an advisory log book program to
guide teens and their parents on the driving experiences
that are necessary prior to getting a license.
-
Expand the Youthful Driver Program at our
Fairfax County Police Department driving track.
-
Revoke school parking privileges for traffic
violations in the community.
-
Increase enforcement throughout Fairfax
County.
-
Crack down on street racing.
-
Design a public awareness campaign.
-
Increase DWI checkpoint programs.
-
Change curfew violations to a primary law
so the Police Department can stop the teen violators.
As the Board receives the recommendations and
begins to implement them, this section will be updated.
In the months ahead, I will share with you a
plan of action. In the meantime I ask that each of you think
about the problem and where you might be able to do something
to save lives.
