Police focusing on distracted, agressive driving

The days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are more dangerous than others for teens.

Nationwide 1,000 teens die each years between these holidays and too many of those involve traffic crashes that could have easily been prevented.

For several years, the Ponca City Police Department has partnered with the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office to enforce aggressive and distracted driving. The OHSO provides funding to law enforcement agencies to target these habits through enforcement and education.

“The funds help us put some officers on the streets patrolling. Distracted driving leads to accidents, it’s as simple as that”, says Ponca City Police Department grant administrator Lieutenant Jason Filtz.

Research shows that three in five teen crashes are a result of distracted driving. Filtz’s suggestion for parents is to set a good example as a parent and don’t text while you drive.

“Let them know you expect the same of them,” Filtz said. “It’s a busy time of year for travel; and it’s also busy for teens on-the-go, with sports, summer camps, work and other obligations. Experts suggest having a conversation with your child, to set ground rules, including:

Set limits on who can be in the vehicle with your teen. For new drivers, state law limits passengers based on experience.
Consider disabling your phone while driving. Some devices offer a feature that will keep you from texting – until you’re stopped.
Limit the nighttime driving for teens. After darks is when a majority of deadly crashes occur; often, it’s a result of either a teen drinking and driving or the driver of another vehicle drinking and driving.