As part of the We Care safe driving campaign, Charles County sheriff’s officers and county school staff greeted all high school drivers on Tuesday as they drove into the parking lot for their first day of school. Officers passed out flyers containing important information regarding teen driving and the rules of the road. At Henry Lackey High School, Sheriff Rex W. Coffey, School Superintendent James Richmond, Principal James Short and CCSO resource officer Kyle Evans were on hand to personally greet the students. “We talk with the students on their first day of school so they know how important it is to take safe driving seriously.” In previous years, Sheriff Coffey greeted students at La Plata, Thomas Stone and Westlake high schools.
The We Care safe driving campaign was established by Sheriff Rex Coffey in the fall of 2008 after nine teenagers died in automobile crashes in Charles County the previous school year. In 2006, three teens died and in 2005, eight teens were killed in crashes.
Recognizing something must be done, and on a level never seen before, Sheriff Coffey directed members of the agency to form a task force and make recommendations about how to reduce teen-related crashes. Volunteers from the agency met and quickly decided the program was only going to work if it included the schools and students. A task force was formed between sheriff’s officers, students and faculty of the Charles County Public Schools and since then, the We Care program has made safe driving a central focus for students. Students participate in events all year long that reinforce safe driving messages.
We Care has drastically reduced the number of fatal crashes involving teenagers in Charles County. For almost two school years, there were zero traffic –related deaths on Charles County roadways involving teen drivers. Though sadly, in 2009 a Charles County teen died in a crash in a neighboring county and earlier this year, a teen died in a crash in La Plata when she lost control of her car in inclement weather. We Care continues to promote safe driving in their honor. “We want to prevent these tragedies and we will do what we can to make sure our teen drivers keep safe driving in the forefront of their minds because we care,” said Sheriff Coffey.
For more information about this program, visit the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Web site at www.ccso.us.
