The Youth Services Center is hosting a Checkpoints™ meeting in the library on Sept. 27 for students to help create a “parent-teen driving agreement,” to reduce future crashes and violations.

Checkpoints™ is a free, one-hour session, instructed by Diana Leathers, Maternal Child Health Coordinator with Lincoln Trail District Health Department.

Any student who currently has a Permit, Intermediate Restricted, or Graduated Driver License are encouraged to attend, but at least one parent must accompany the teen driver.

Registration for the meeting can be found in the Youth Services Center, which is room 401. By registering, you will be provided free food while you attend the meeting.

According to Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) Coordinator, Carol Bewley-Bangers, The Checkpoints™ meeting is for students and parents to talk about a plan of action for when different driving situations occur on the road.

“It’s for the parents and the students to talk to each other and to make an actual contract with each other about how the student will drive and take specific precautions during these times,” Bangers said.

According to Brangers, the meeting’s goal is to help parents realize that there needs to be a conversation initiated between them and the student about driving.

“We want the parents to realize that we don’t just throw the keys at the kids, and say you know, ‘go to it,’ “ Brangers discussed. “You need to sit down and talk about the different driving situations that require you to drive differently when the roads are wet [and] when the roads are slick.”

Brangers also mentioned the risk that faces beginning student drivers.

“Statistics prove that the greatest risk a student when they first start driving is the first three months after they get their intermediate license,” Brangers noted. “They feel like they are able to get out by themselves and drive, and those are the greatest risk times of the first three months. ”

Brangers encourages students and parents to attend this meeting and notice the importance of safe driving.

“Nobody wants to be involved in an accident, or hurt, or killed, or hurt somebody else, or kill somebody else,” Brangers said.” I would hope students would want to be safe drivers, number one.”

If you would like to receive more information about the Checkpoints™ meeting, Contact Carol Bewley-Bangers either through email  ([email protected]) or phone (270-737-6800, ext. 2716 or 2896).