S.T.O.P.P.E.D.

Sheriff's Telling Our Parents & Promoting Educated Drivers

FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

From the National Safety Council

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for young adults between the ages of 16 and 24.

16 to 24 year old drivers only make up 14% of all drivers, yet they are involved in 28% of all collisions.

Young drivers are involved in fatal traffic crashes at over twice the rate of the rest of the population.

More than 11,000 people aged 15 to 24 were killed in crashes in 2002, and 5940 of those were drivers and passengers in vehicle operated by drivers ages 16 to 20.

Clearly, additional intervention is needed in securing the safety of all motor vehicle operators as well as securing our children's future.

In response to these alarming statistics, in 1999 the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office developed the S.T.O.P.P.E.D. Program, a voluntary parental notification system used to reduce the number of young drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents, which the Madison County Sheriff's Office is proud to incorporate into it's Traffic Safety Program.

HOW IT WORKS:

1.                  Parents voluntarily register with the Madison County Sheriff's Office , any motor vehicle that will be operated by a driver under the age of 21.

2.                  An identification decal is issued and affixed to the upper left side of the windshield of each registered vehicle.

3.                  If, for any reason, the registered vehicle, when operated by a driver under the age of 21, is stopped by any Madison County Police Agency, the officer will complete a notification card providing the following information:

-         Time and location of the stop

-         Driver's name and number of passengers

-         Reason for stop

-         Whether any traffic tickets were issued

4.                  Notifications are mailed directly to parents to make them aware of potential problems, enabling them to enforce any parental rules that often coexist with teenage driving privileges.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office offer parents this voluntary notification system to extend their watchful eyes and raise the awareness of drivers under the age of 21.  This program provides young drivers with a visible reminder of parental supervision and provides parents with the means of correcting behavior before it is too late.

For questions regarding the S.T.O.P.P.E.D. Program, call (315) 366-2403.