County Clerk Kendall Observes National Teen Driver Safety Week
Encourages Parents and Guardians to Enroll Teenage Drivers in TEENS Program
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY… In observance of National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 18-24, 2015), Dutchess County Clerk Bradford Kendall encourages parents and guardians of teenage drivers to enroll in Teen Electronic Event Notification Service (TEENS). The service is provided free of charge and is administered by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NYSDMV) as a parental notification of teenage drivers when specific events are added to the driver record of the teen. Events include tickets, traffic violation convictions, driver license suspensions, revocations, and certain accidents.
Teenage drivers in New York State are over represented in fatal and personal injury crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for U.S. teens 15 to 19 years old. In 2013, 2,614 teen (15-19 year old) passenger vehicle drivers were involved in fatal crashes. The vast majority of these crashes are caused either directly or indirectly by driver inexperience.
Clerk Kendall stated, “We want to provide every tool possible to parents in assisting and guiding young drivers to develop safe and responsible driving habits. By being informed of these occurrences, parents can address potentially risky or frequent behaviors that can develop during the early driving stages. The TEENS program is a vital resource for parents of young drivers and opens up for discussion ofmaking smart choices and providing positive guidance.”
The enrollment form is available in all Dutchess County DMV offices, downloading the form off of the County Clerk’s webpage,www.dutchessny.gov/countyclerk, or by registering online at http://dmv.ny.gov/mydmv/mydmv. Parents/Guardians will receive notifications by mail of when a reportable event occurs in relation to the minor. E-mail notification only available to those who enroll online. On the 18th birthday of the enrolled minor, participation in the program will automatically end. The young driver, now of legal age, no longer needs parental consent, and has the right of privacy of personal license files information.
Clerk Kendall concluded by saying, “It is my hope that when a parent or guardian utilizes this service, they will use it constructively to encourage safe driving habits to prevent future incidents, which could result in serious injury or death.”
For more information about Teen Driver Safety Week and resources available, please visit www.safercar.gov/parents.
# # #
