A course aimed at teaching parents how to train their children about the responsibilities and dangers of driving was unveiled today by the Colorado State Patrol.
The Alive at 25 Parent Program will kick off in mid-November in Denver and Colorado Springs, the State Patrol announced.
The parent program will be an extension of Alive at 25, a State Patrol-sponsored program designed to teach young drivers.
Last year, 139 people in the 15-to-25 age group were killed in car crashes on Colorado roads, said Lt. Col. Anthony Padilla.
Many of these crashes are preventable, Padilla said.
The new parental component was announced at Mullen High School, where students went to two assemblies and heard family members who lost teens in fatal crashes talk about their experiences.
Pat Thielen’s 17-year-old son, Chris, died in a car crash Jan. 29, 2006.
Thielen has addressed about a dozen Alive at 25 assemblies in the past 18 months.
Chris snuck out of their home, borrowed a car and got drunk, Thielen said.
It was a trio of poor choices that wound up taking his life, she said.
Thielen speaks frankly about what happened because she hopes the truth will allow her to make a connection with a teenager whose driving decisions she can affect.
She touts the parental program as an additional way to shape responsible, safe teenage drivers.
“It’ll be very good to take the class,” Thielen said. “Parents need to think outside the box of things kids might do or get into. I thought I had it all covered.”
In 2006, more than 9,000 teens and young adults under the age of 25 participated in Alive at 25 courses in Colorado.
Mullen freshmen Sydney Richards, 14, and Ariana Loveberry, 15, said today’s assembly had a serious impact on them.
They both agreed that their parents would gain valuable insight and information from a parental program.
“My mom would love it,” Loveberry said.
“Mine too,” Richards agreed.
Colorado will be the first state in the country to offer the parent program, Padilla said.
In November, three classes, with 30 parents in each, will be offered in the Denver Metro area and Colorado Springs.
A statewide rollout is anticipated in the spring.
Parents interested in enrolling for classes can call the Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation at 866-605-3900 or visit .
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
