Lee Memorial co-hosts young driver program

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for persons aged 15 to 24. During 2005, nearly 400,000 motor vehicle occupants in this age group sustained nonfatal injuries, severe enough to require treatment in an emergency department. The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16 to 19 year olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers: the risk increases with the number of teen passengers. Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that teenagers are eligible to drive.

Lee Memorial Emergency/Trauma Services, Lee County Health Department, Lee County Sheriffs Office, and the Stay Alive, Just Drive campaign are hosting a program for young drivers between the ages of 15 and 21. The Young Driver Program will be held at Lee Memorial Hospital in the auditorium once monthly. The next class will be Feb. 27 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. and is free to young drivers and their parents. The program is designed to illustrate driving responsibility and outcomes of intentional acts of irresponsible driving. The program will educate young drivers on different legal issues involved with driving and also how to stay focused on driving and the responsibilities that go along with the driving privilege. This program is not a substitute for Drivers Education, but a supplement to the Drivers Education course.