Moms Talk: Teen Driving and Safety

Prince William County Police and Battlefield High School are teaming up to address the issue of teen driving and safety.

On Wednesday, May 25th, at 7 p.m., representatives from the Prince William County police department and school system will discuss issues related to safe teen driving at the Haymarket high school. The presentation is open to students, parents and community members, according to a press release issued by the police department.

Topics to be presented will include:

-          Common Teen Driving Risks

-          Teen-related Legal and Licensing Laws

-          Parental Roles

Local authorities have been in the process of creating an educational program for Battlefield High School students and parents regarding the issues facing teen drivers and their passengers after a car driven by an 18-year-old veered off the road and crashed into a tree along Logmill Road in the early morning hours of April 20.

Two 15-year-old girls were killed in the crash and two other teens, ages 14 and 17, were injured. The driver, who has been charged with reckless driving, was also injured. Speed was a factor in the crash, an investigation revealed. 

The two teens killed in the crash were both freshman at Battlefield High school. The crash is the second double fatality involving Battlefield students in less than a year, according to a report by insidenova.com.

And just this past Sunday, three more young people, ages 18 through 20, were killed in a single-car crash in nearby Maryland after the Toyota Corolla they were riding in ran off the side of a road and crashed into a tree.

Police have not confirmed whether alcohol or speed were factors in the crash, but WUSA9 is reporting that prosecutors are actively investigating if alcohol was a factor in the crash after the driver was said to smell like alcohol  at the time of his arrest the night of the crash.

The Prince William County police chief said he hopes to expand the educational teen driving program to other schools next year.

Patch will be attending the presentation next week, but do moms of teenage drivers  have any tips they can share now that will help keep our kids safe while out on area roads?