More than 100 Sun Prairie high school students will learn about safe driving at Traffic Safety Night on Thursday, Oct. 19. The educational program will occur from 6 to 8 p.m. at Patrick Marsh Middle School (1351 Columbus St.).
Sponsored by local insurer General Casualty in conjunction with the Sun Prairie School District, Traffic Safety Night is a biannual event aimed at educating parents and teens about safe driving and encouraging them to talk about the issue. This year’s event will feature several local experts speaking on related topics:
A hands-on follow-up session will allow students and parents to discuss and develop personalized driving contracts. The contract outlines the teen’s driving responsibilities and consequences if those responsibilities are not met, encouraging discussion of these issues before problems develop. A free pizza dinner and door prizes will be offered also.
Past participants credit Traffic Safety Night with providing needed information about the legal and financial consequences of underage drinking and driving violations; auto insurance rates for teen drivers with good grades, clean records or drinking violations; and emphasizing the importance of good communication between parents and teens.
“This information was better for my teen coming from someone other than me,” said one parent and past Traffic Safety Night participant.
“It made what could happen if I do something wrong more real,” noted a previous student attendant.
Traffic Safety Night is open to all Sun Prairie High School driver education students and their parents and occurs twice each year during the fall and spring semesters. The program began in 2001.
For more information, please contact Anne M. Smith.