Police, parents, teens seek ways to keep young drivers safe

The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- When 16-year-old Daniel Chojecki walked away from a car wreck, his family didn't keep him away from the car keys.

They took him to the racetrack.

Police, parents and teens are seeking alternatives for how to keep young drivers safe. The issue has taken on renewed urgency in the St. Louis area following a string of fatal wrecks related to street racing.

St. Louis County police started meeting with students to discuss ways -- from new legislation to education to enforcement -- to keep young drivers from risky behaviors like speeding, racing and hill jumping.

Over the last year and a half, eight teenagers have died in car crashes in south St. Louis County alone. Last week in north St. Louis County, a 19-year-old who loved cars and driving fast died during a street race.

But solutions don't come easy.

"The fact is you can't be with a young driver when they're about to make a bad decision," said police spokesman Mason Keller. Police believe their best bet is to influence decision-making before teens start up the car.

Chojecki recalled how a teenage friend behind the wheel of a red Mustang started horsing around with another teen driver one day about a year ago.

"He clipped the car, and pulled on the E-brake," Chojecki, of St. Peters, recalled. "We slid and flipped over and landed in a ditch on the roof. Everyone was fine. We were lucky, though."

When it was time for Daniel to learn to drive, his mother and uncle enrolled him in Midwest Driver, a driving academy at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., run by trained race car driver Phil Wicks.

"We were all really shaken by the accident, and we decided Daniel needed to learn how to handle a car," Ann Chojecki said.

The Chojeckis were pleased with the school, which costs $275 for a day of novice training and includes skills like changing lanes in an emergency and driving in a skid situation.

Finding solutions

But many parents looking to educate their teens often aren't entirely sure what really works.

Drivers' education offered in Missouri schools and elsewhere is on the decline. In the state, 95 of 524 school districts offered drivers' education during the 2001-02 school year, but that's about 100 districts fewer than a decade ago.

Many Missouri districts continue to offer summer driver's ed classes, but there's evidence that while teens may learn handling skills, driver's education doesn't lead to lower crash involvement, according to a study distributed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Some families are trying to channel their children's need for speed into motor sports, where they believe teens will learn how to handle a car properly in a controlled environment.

The St. Louis regional executive for the Sports Car Club of America, Janice Rick, 51, said the techniques are effective. That's how her own, now grown, son first learned how to handle a car.

"We teach that there's a place to do it where there's controls," she said. In some events, drivers run through a course set between traffic cones in an open area, like a large parking lot, and don't physically race other cars, instead racing a clock.

Rick said children as young as 8 take part in cart competitions.

Midamerica Raceway in Wentzville offers sanctioned drag racing, and has a high school competition class. Minors need parents' permission, a car safety inspection and complete timed trials before they can race.

The facility has fire extinguisher trucks, on-site paramedics and guard rails.

Police won't take a position on teens driving at the track. "We're not going to support that, but we're not going to speak out against it either," said Keller. "We don't claim to know families as well as parents do."

But the Insurance Institute said research in Scandanavia found advanced skills can backfire on young drivers, said chief scientist Allan Williams.

The organization suggests graduated license programs, where new drivers don't get all their driving privileges at once. Missouri has such a program, but it could be tougher, Williams said. The group also believes that prohibiting young drivers from having peers in the car can cut back on the risks.

Ann Chojecki said her son learned from the accident he was involved in, and the driver's school at the racetrack. But she said there's no easy way to convince a teen that risky driving can have consequences.

"The most infuriating thing is when they look at wrecked cars, or they go to a funeral, and they say, 'I think it wouldn't happen to me,'" she said.

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On the Net:

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: http://www.hwysafety.org

Midwest Driver Phil Wicks Driving Academy: www.midwestdriver.com

Sports Car Club of America: http://www.scca.com

Mid America Raceway: www.midamericaraceway.com