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Published Monday, August 04, 2008 in Local

Officers will monitor traffic around schools

By Elizabeth Richardson

The Times-Herald

The Coweta County Sheriff's Office has long committed itself to preparing young drivers and their families for the dangers of the road. That will be no different this school year and, more importantly, this week as people everywhere adjust to the school commuting schedule.

"With school starting back on Wednesday, the buses will be back out rolling again," said Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager. "There's going to be an increase in traffic -- be patient and give yourself plenty of time."

Every year the sheriff's office places law enforcement officers at different schools within the county to monitor the flow of traffic. After everyone is readjusted to the daily routine, the responsibility will be turned back over to the schools.

"Recognize that there are going to be delays and don't get frustrated," said Yeager. "We are hoping for a very easy opening again this school year."

With traffic safety a top priority as school gets back in, the sheriff's office will again be offering driver education programs -- including a new one that's being met with praise and high hopes from police and parents alike.

In Georgia, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. Locally, the sheriff's office has annually participated in the statewide program called Georgia Teens Ride with PRIDE -- or Parents Reducing Incidents of Driver Error.

The program -- offered as a free two-hour course to Cowetans ages 14-16 -- addresses driver attitude, knowledge and behavior, rather than a technical hands-on driver training course. While it is designed to help parents and their new teen drivers learn what they need to do during the 40 hours of supervised practice driving time, it does not count toward the required 40 hours. Completion of the course may reduce insurance rates.

The parent/teen driver education program was developed by the University of Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute (GTIPI), which honored Coweta's sheriff's office for reaching the highest average number of families per course in Georgia with the PRIDE program in 2007. Coweta started implementing PRIDE classes locally in 2005 and it's been "gaining momentum since then," according to Yeager.

"That award was a great honor because we were competing with much larger areas," said the sheriff, pointing out that Savannah came in second place. "We are providing programs that are beneficial in hopes of bringing awareness and reducing incidents in this area, and that's a good feeling."

The course will help parents/guardians become more aware of their own driving behaviors; teach parents/guardians how to help their teenagers become safe drivers; help parents/guardians and teenagers learn what they need to do during the supervised practice driving time required to obtain a license; and alter attitudes and driving behaviors of novice teenage drivers.

Classes are scheduled each month at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts located at 1523 Lower Fayetteville Road in Newnan. Classes begin on Aug. 28, Sept. 25, Oct. 16, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8. All classes are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and require at least one parent/guardian be present during the entire two-hour course.

Class size is limited and registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For more information or to download a registration form, log onto www.cowetacosheriff.com or contact Sgt. Keith Addis at 678-423-6730, or by e-mail, kaddis@coweta.ga.us.

The new program the sheriff's office has begun that's getting some buzz is the STOPPED program -- or Sheriff's Telling Our Parents & Promoting Educated Drivers.

The STOPPED Program is a parental notification project that was developed by a sheriff's office in New York. It is designed to reduce the number of youthful drivers involved in auto accidents by keeping parents in the know when it comes to their young drivers' run-ins with law enforcement.

Drivers age 16-20 account for the highest fatality and injury rates in all motor vehicle crashes. Vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among 16- to 20-year-olds.

This program has met with success because parents voluntarily register any motor vehicle that will be operated by a driver under 21 with the sheriff's office. Then, an identification decal is issued and affixed to the windshield of each registered vehicle. Finally, if for any reason the registered vehicle is stopped while being operated by the young driver, the officer will complete a notification card with the time and location of the stop, the driver's name and the number of passengers, reason for stop and whether any citations were issued. Notifications will be mailed directly to parents to make them aware of potential problems and enable them to enforce any parental rules that often coexist with teenage driving privileges.

Enrollment in this program will provide teenagers with a constant visual reminder of their accountability as they travel on their own. Enrollment will also provide parents with notification when young drivers fall short of parental expectations.

"This will be the first time for the STOPPED program in Coweta County, and we liked the thought of doing this in conjunction with the start of the new school year," said Yeager. "It's good in that if parents will sign up for this, it will give them an opportunity to know where their child is and who they're with."

Any parent interested in registering for the STOPPED program is urged to contact the sheriff's office's Eastside Precinct at 770-254-8922.

"This and the PRIDE program have helped young drivers," said Yeager. "The statistics seem to show a reduction in traffic accidents in general. We encourage people to get involved as we continue trying to provide programs as a service to our community in order to keep it a safe place."