Teens lost: Johnston County effort would help Wayne teens, too

With more than two dozen Johnston County teens lost in car accidents over the last few years, officials in that community decided to do something.

So, they created a teen education program designed to make sure young people are aware of the risk they take when they are behind the wheel of a car.

Officials hope that the extra emphasis on the responsibilities and dangers that go along with driving will wake a few teens up and possibly keep them safer on the road.

Wayne County has not suffered so pronounced a number of teen-involved crashes. There have been several deaths -- and those were bad enough. But even one loss of one young life is a tragedy worth thinking about and making sure it never happens again.

A program in the schools that is required of all teenage drivers that emphasizes the dangers and shows young people what can happen on the road would be a valuable addition to the county curriculum.

Add to that strict enforcement of laws that require teens to avoid distractions while driving like talking on cell phones and having too many friends in the vehicle, and you have the first steps toward keeping Wayne County from suffering the same losses and heartbreak that has hit Johnston County.

It seems like it would be worth the effort.

Published in Editorials on December 4, 2008 11:18 AM