August 22, 2022] With schools opening around the County, preparations are underway for students and parents to have a successful and safe year. Collaborations are central to these efforts since school partnerships are crucial to student and community safety.
There are often new worries for parents and guardians when their high school-age children gain independence, spend more time with friends, and start driving. Motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for teens ages 13-19, with nearly 2,400 lives lost in the U.S. in 2019, equal to almost seven teens a day. (https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/teen-drivers/index.html). [See Figure 1 below].
Many factors contribute to increased risk, including driver inexperience, speeding, distractions, and impaired driving. Teen drivers aged 16-19 are nearly three times as likely as drivers 20 or older to be in a fatal crash per mile driven.
In response, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) created the Start Smart safe driving program over a decade ago to help families avoid such tragedies. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department also provides the program.
Start Smart program is a free 2-hour class attended by teens and their parents or guardians and conducted by a CHP Officer or Sheriff Deputy. Parents and teens attendance is required, increasing the program’s effectiveness.
Parent-teen communication with clear messages and consequences are proven strategies to help teens stay safe and healthy. Whether the issue is seatbelt use, underage drinking, or impaired driving, when parents communicate a clear expectation, they lower the risk for their teens:
“Always wear your seatbelt.”
“Alcohol consumption under age 21 is risky, illegal, and something I expect you to avoid.”
“I never want you to get in the car with a driver who has been drinking or using marijuana or other drugs; call me, and I will come to get you.”
With a strong emphasis on parent/teen communication, San Dieguito Alliance (SDA) brought the Start Smart program to San Dieguito Union High Schools a decade ago (Torrey Pines, La Costa Canyon, Canyon Crest, and San Dieguito Academy). Attending the program is required for any student who wants to park on campus. Each year they reach over 3,000 students and parents (except for COVID years). They have also expanded to local private schools.
Dr. Jose Manuel Villareal, Principal at Rancho Buena Vista High School (RBV) in Vista and Board member of the North Coastal Prevention Coalition (NCPC) had a goal to bring the Start Smart program requirement to their campus as well, and is excited to expand this partnership to RBV.
“As a father of a teen driver, bringing additional information, resources, and collaborative opportunities to RBV is a priority for me. More importantly, our RBV families will see the value as their teens begin to take a very important step in their lives. As a veteran school administrator with over 20 years of experience, I have seen too many tragic deaths of high school students while behind the wheel.”
The first Start Smart class at RBV was held on August 15, 2022 and conducted by CHP Officer Juan Escobar.
“Providing the Start Smart class to local parents and teens is a real perk of my job,” stated Officer Escobar. “I encounter a lot of poor decision making, as well as tragic crashes when I’m out in the field. Sharing those experiences with the focus on prevention and safety means I can help others avoid such consequences.”
Upcoming classes at RBV are scheduled from 6-8 PM on:
• Wednesday, September 7
• Tuesday, September 20
• Wednesday, November 16
For more information and to register, visit: https://rbv.vistausd.org/
For more information about the Start Smart safe driving program, visit https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/youth-programs/start-smart-driving-smart-to-stay-safe
To learn more about the County’s new Vision Zero campaign to raise awareness about the risks of polydrug use and driving, go to:
https://www.ccrconsulting.org/mpi-resources/drugged-driving-campaign
NCPC works in the cities of Carlsbad, Oceanside, and Vista to reduce the harm of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs through community action, education, support, and collaboration. To get involved with NCPC, visit www.northcoastalpreventioncoalition.org or call 760-631-5000 x7174.
Figure 1: Leading Causes of Death among Children and Adolescents ages 1-19 in the United States, 1999 through 2020.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc2201761
About the North Coastal Prevention Coalition
The North Coastal Prevention Coalition aims to reduce the harm of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs in the cities of Carlsbad, Oceanside, and Vista through community action, education, support, and collaboration. Funded in part by the County of San Diego, HHSA, Behavioral Health Services, with a contract to Vista Community Clinic. Visit www.northcoastalpreventioncoalition.org
