There are so many gut-wrenching moments when raising a child. Sending them off on the bus to that first day of school, watching them undergo a medical procedure, feeling their pain the first time their heart is broken… frankly there are so many. Perhaps one of the toughest is the day your child drives away alone with a freshly earned drivers license. I don’t know many parents who don’t find themselves praying a little more often.
We worry about some impatient driver causing them to have an accident. We hope they will be where promised. We know they don’t have the experience to anticipate how to act in every situation. We pray they will not speed, text or drink and drive.
Lilburn Police Chief Bruce Hedley has the same concerns, but for every teen driver in his city of 13,400. About six months or so ago, Hedley noticed a high number of 15-20 year olds showing up in court each week for traffic violations. Worse, many of those infractions could have resulted in serious injuries or fatalities.
After meeting with the city’s prosecuting attorney and judge, Hedley helped established a Teen Court. The program identifies young drivers with relatively minor traffic violations and educates them about speeding, texting and driving, seatbelt usage, aggressive driving, and other violations. DUI, fleeing an officer, and drag racing cases are generally not eligible.
Once accepted to Teen Court, drivers have 60 days to complete a series of steps including meetings with the prosecuting attorney, judge, and a senior police officer. These meetings are designed to educate drivers as well as discourage repeat offenses. Drivers are also required to pay for and complete a 16-hour defensive driving course.
Once completed, the young driver accepts reduced charges and pays associated court fees. The charges are not entirely eliminated, but the reduction results in zero points against the teen’s driving record and does not require insurance notification.
According to Hedley, Lilburn has held two cycles of Teen Court since the program’s introduction. Of the most recent group, only 3 out of 40 youth drivers didn’t complete the course.
Hedley said hopes Teen Court will encourage safe, responsible driving and reduce the probability of young drivers being stopped again. More importantly, he believes Lilburn Teen Court, “may save their life, or the life of someone else.”
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