A new program in Williamson County has stressed the dangers of distracted driving by creating a mandatory class for new teen drivers and their parents.
It's a moment every teen eagerly awaits; getting their drivers license and hitting the road, feeling the freedom but Paul Fantuzzi wants parents to have the guts to say not so fast.
He's one of two instructors who oversee the Checkpoints Program. Last school year, in a span of three months five teens from Williamson County were killed in car crashes.
"It gives parents the opportunity to say hey lets put the breaks on here, we're going to talk about this and come up with some set rules," course instructor, Paul Fantuzzi said.
The rules are made as a part of a parent-teen driving agreement. It's like a graduated program, the more trust built, the less strict the rules may be.
"He's asking for 10 o'clock, I said 9 o'clock," laughed Hisham Michael.
Michael was there with his son Kirolos and said there were topics brought up in the course that he hadn't considered before. "Not to have more than one teen in the car because that would cause a lot of distraction," Michael explained.
Four courses in and already parents were getting a better idea of how to approach their teens with driving concerns.
"If we can get to the parent and the student and facilitate those conversations, maybe we'll save a life," Ravenwood High School Principal Pam Vaden said.
The course was only required in Williamson County. However instructors want every parent to keep an eye on the following with their teen drivers; speed, road conditions, distracted driving and more than one teen in the vehicle.
The next course was scheduled for August 15 at the Ravenwood High School library.
