It's Teen Driver Safety Week.
- Teen Driver Challenge
- Classroom and behind-the wheel program to instruct young drivers
- Principles of safe, defensive driving are emphasized
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has a program helping teenagers understand the importance of avoiding distracted driving.
Master Deputy Jerry Carey runs the Teen Driver Challenge, designed to help properly instruct younger drivers. Carey said when it comes to teens and driving, distractions are all too common.
Talking on the phone, too many passengers, the radio can all distract an inexperienced driver.
"Those are all issues that take their eyes off of the road and put them in danger when they're in traffic," Carey said. "So they learn things like evasive driving with respect to hazards on the roadway. How to properly back and navigate, and to minimize those distractions in the car and deal with situations that they may encounter out there on the roadway."
The Teen Driver Challenge is a defensive driving and vehicle control program designed for teenage drivers. The two-day program is designed to provide young drivers with the knowledge and understanding of vehicle dynamics and human kinetics, the forces created by an automobile, and the effects of the forces on the human body.
As a parent of a teen going through the program, Shannon Ivey the instruction helps her feel a little less apprehensive about her child driving.
Ivey said the program is giving the student drivers the tools they need to make good decisions on the road.
Bay News 9 has partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation on its “Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow” campaign. The idea is to make sure we’re all sharing the road with people who walk or ride their bikes, and everyone makes it where they need to be safely. FDOT has all kinds of resources for you on alerttodayflorida.com.