A course aimed at teaching parents how to train their children about the responsibilities and dangers of driving was unveiled Thursday 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 15-25 age group were killed in car crashes on Colorado roads, Lt. Col. Anthony Padilla said.
Many of “these crashes that happen 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.
In 2006, more than 9,000 teens and adults younger than 25 participated in Alive at 25 courses in Colorado.
Thielen touts the parental program as an additional way to shape responsible, safe teen drivers.
“It’ll be very good to take the class,” she said. “Parents need to think outside the box of things kids might do or get into. I thought I had it all covered.”
Colorado will be the first state in the country to offer the parental program, Padilla said.
Mullen freshmen Sydney Richards, 14, and Ariana Loveberry, 15, said Thursday’s assembly had a serious effect 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.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
Classes in November
In November, three classes, with slots for 30 parents in each, will be offered in the Denver area and Colorado Springs. A statewide rollout is anticipated in the spring. Call the Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation at 866-605-3900, or go to .
