The Responsibility of Driving
Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

One issue of great public policy concern is the deaths of young people in auto-related accidents. Over the past several months there have been 18 teenagers killed in car wrecks in the metropolitan Washington region. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that one out of every five 16-year-olds will be involved in a car crash. Their numbers also indicate that more than 300,000 teen passengers and drivers, ages 16-20, were injured and nearly 6,000 died as a result of vehicle crashes in 2002. An alarming number from the Center for Disease Control is that 36 percent of all teen driving deaths are alcohol related.

These shocking statistics have resulted in state legislatures tightening up the rules for driving for teenagers with Virginia being among the leading states taking such action. A child in Virginia must have a learner’s permit for nine months or until age 19, whichever comes first, before applying for a driver’s license. Before a teen can apply for a driver’s license, the parent must certify that the child has 40 hours of behind-the-wheel driving experience with at least 10 of those hours after sunset. Parents can secure a “40-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide” at www.pen.k12.va.us. Because distractions are such a significant cause of teenager accidents, teen drivers with a learner’s permit may not carry more than one passenger under 18, and this limit applies also to licensed drivers under age 18 for their first year of driving. Because late night driving has been a time of more accidents, teenagers under age 18 may not operate a motor vehicle between midnight and 4:00 a.m. with a few exceptions for work and emergencies.

With all the laws that are on the books and with enhanced enforcement, the most effective monitor of a teenager’s driving is his or her parents. Parents have the right until the child turns 18 to withhold or cancel his or her learner’s permit or driver’s license. To cancel a permit or license, call the Division of Motor Vehicles at 1-866-DMVLINE and request form DL 18 or get the form at www.dmvNOW.com. Parents may also want to consider a contract with their child on the conditions of driving. Log onto www.roadreadyteens.org, a site sponsored by Daimler Chrysler, for a coy of such a contract. While at the site, check out “Road Ready Streetwise,” an online video that is enjoyable for teenagers to play while learning some of the skills of driving.

I have been part of tightening the laws in Virginia for teenage drivers. But the responsibility for safe driving for young people is not just with the law but with parents and the community as well.

Announcements

Take a walk on the Fourth of July. The Reston Historic Trust will sponsor a Fourth of July Walk to Herndon. Participants will meet at the Reston Museum at 5:00 for a brief orientation, then will carpool to the Town Center. The walk will begin at the Reston Town Center and continue on to Herndon, where walkers will grab a bite at Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern, then continue to Bready Park for the evening’s concert. Fireworks start at dusk, and then all will head back home (backup transportation from Herndon will be provided, or RIBS can be used). Please call the Reston Museum for details at 703.709.7700 or visit www.restonmuseum.org.

Don’t miss the annual Reston Interfaith Rucker Golf Tournament on July 11. The activities begin with a golf tournament at Hidden Creek Country Club and Reston National Golf Course. The day promises to be filled with great golf, delicious food, a prize-filled raffle and spectacular silent and live auctions. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the programs of Reston Interfaith. Visit www.restoninterfaith.org for registration and details.

Do you know about Senior Navigator? It is a great website and resource for the general population but is particularly helpful to senior citizens. Visit www.seniornavigator.org to make it your fast, free resource for seniors and those who care for them. This month’s e-quicktip deals with protecting your skin and the dangers of direct sun on the skin. According to Senior Navigator, you can improve your chances of identifying precancerous skin conditions and skin cancer by performing simple skin self-exams regularly. The earlier you identify signs and see a dermatologist, the greater the chances for successful treatment. It is never too late to protect yourself from harmful effects of the sun. Visit Senior Navigator to find out how.

The Fairfax County Public Library invites adults to participate in All Fairfax Reads, a “One Book, One Community” project encouraging residents to read and discuss the same book through September 20, 2005. This year’s selection is the best selling novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Set in Afghanistan and America, it is a story about the friendship between a wealthy Afghan youth and his servant’s son. The novel is a story of betrayal, redemption, and a father-son relationship that offers insight into the culture of Afghanistan. A reader’s guide to The Kite Runner is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library or call 703.830.2223 for more information. All Fairfax Reads is cosponsored by the Friends of the Fairfax City Regional Library, the Friends of the Kings Park Library, George Mason University, and the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative.

You will note in the calendar below that I have scheduled my State of the Commonwealth Business Breakfast for Thursday, June 30, 8:00 a.m., at the Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston. At this event I give my assessment of where we are in Virginia and where we need to be headed. It is a candid, no-holds-barred discussion! Let us know if you would like to attend. It is also a campaign fundraiser. Call 703.758.9733 for information.

As part of a continuing effort to highlight the rich history of the Alfred Street Baptist Church and African American contributions in the City of Alexandria, Alfred Street Baptist Church will host Black History Tours on July 10 and 17. The free tours, which will be held twice on each day at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, will give visitors and area residents an opportunity to see the role that Alfred Street has played in the development of the City of Alexandria. Participants will visit 25 historic sites during the 90 minute excursion. The tour route will begin at the site of Alfred Street’s Old Church and will include a short walk through the streets of Old Town Alexandria to the current site of Downtown Baptist Church. It was there that Alfred Street and its sister congregation, First Baptist Church of Alexandria, first worshipped as part of the Alexandria Baptist Society beginning in 1803. A bus tour will follow the short walk with a drive through many of the city’s Black neighborhoods. Reservations are required and are first-come, first-served. Call 703.683.2222, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.