Complimentary exams of student vehicles like the one performed Friday at Bellefontaine High School, and another slated for today at Indian Lake High School are intended to educate teens about proper vehicle maintenance, and to identify potential defects before those problems can contribute to a crash.
Jeff Jones, left, and Steve Bilikam were among AAA technicians performing student vehicle checks Friday at Bellefontaine High School. The checks were designed to educate students about proper vehicle maintenance and remind them to always buckle up, and never to drive distracted. (EXAMINER PHOTO | NATE SMITH)
Spring and summer months are particularly dangerous times for new drivers, and AAA refers to the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the “100 deadliest days” for teen drivers.
On average, there are 20 fatal or injury crashes reported per day in Ohio involving teen drivers, according to data from the Ohio Department of Transportation. Over the past five years, younger drivers have been involved in some 38,000 fatal or injury crashes, ODOT reports.
Compounding the potential danger, new drivers are also typically operating older, and potentially less reliable vehicles, which puts them at an even greater risk for breakdowns and crashes, according to AAA.
“That’s why AAA focuses its teen driver safety events around vehicle safety checks at high schools,” Kellie O’Riordan, AAA traffic safety program manager, said Friday during the event at BHS.
Read complete story in Monday’s Examiner.
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