Next week is Teen Driver Safety Week in Idaho, meaning law enforcement and other agencies will be taking a close look at the behavior of teenagers behind the wheel. The article below came from the Idaho Falls Post Register, but I would've had to pay to link to it, so I just cut and pasted it.
IDAHO FALLS - Teen drivers will be the focus of next week's statewide "Youthful Driver School Zone Campaign."
Idaho Falls police officers will be doing extra school zones patrols Monday through Friday to encourage drivers to obey speed limits and ensure all passengers are wearing seat belts, Sgt. Dave Frei said.
Bonneville County deputies will also be patrolling school zones, Sgt. Doug Metcalf said.
The campaign will be held in conjunction with National Teen Driver Safety Week, which looks at teen drivers and the risks involved with passengers in the vehicle.
"Statistics show a teen driver with one passenger doubles the risk of a fatal crash," Frei said. "A teen carrying three or more passengers quadruples the risk."
According to Idaho Transportation Department data, drivers age 15 through 19 were involved in 296 fatal or serious injury crashes statewide in 2008.
There was one 2008 highway fatality involving a teenager in Bonneville County. There were four in 2007.
The goal is to educate teens about safe driving and, as a consequence, to reduce accidents, Frei said. Officers will also be on the lookout for traffic violations committed by adult drivers.
An Office of Highway Safety grant will pay for the overtime of 33 Idaho Falls police officers.
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