SEDGWICK COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT

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SEDGWICK COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT
SHERIFF GARY E. STEED
S T O P P E D
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Americas Love Affair!
October 1st, 1909
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When Henry Ford Unveiled the Model T, America
began its love affair with the automobile.
Its that very love affair, that has ingrained
the automobiles coexistence with the American
Family.
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Part of the Family

• Since their first ride home from the hospital,
  children have been intrigued with the automobile.
  
• Providing a calming sense for toddlers who are
  usually found fast asleep within minutes of
  traveling down the roadway, the car almost
  immediately begins to define its existence with
  the American family.
• As our children grow, the car takes on numerous
  different roles. Providing taxi services to
  Little League games office space for Soccer
  Moms and even provide an memorable battlefield
  for sibling rivalry.

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Very much part of the family

• As if by design, the automobile truly becomes to
  be an extension to the American family.

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SYMBOLIC

• The automobile has also become the means of
  representing ones personality.
• Whether stating ones ruggedness defining family
  orientation expressing uniqueness or even
  signifying ones fiscal status, various lifestyles
  and personalities become obvious as the car
  drives down the road.
• However, at the arrival of the 16th Birthday, the
  car is the most visible symbol of MATURITY.

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More then just a vehicle

• In the eyes of that sixteen year old, that car is
  more than just a car. Its the rite of passage to
  adulthood.
• The family car is now
• Statement of maturity
• Means of independence
• Accessibility to social activities
• Means of expanding horizons

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IRONIC
Nation Center for Health Statistics 1998 Motor
vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death
for persons between the ages of 15 to
20. 3,427 It is tragically ironic that the very
vehicle that we have grown to rely on, can be
identified to be the leading cause of death for
persons between the ages of 15 to 20 by the
National Center for Health Statistics. In 1998
3,427 persons between 15 to 20 years died in the
United States.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY
2001 14 lives were lost to Injury car crashes
for youth between the ages of (16-20)
In 2001 Sedgwick County witnessed 44 fatal
crashes that claimed 48 lives. In addition over
11,264 reported accidents left 6,443 people
injured.
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Young drives (ages 16-20) in Sedgwick County
represent 32 of all drivers involved in Fatal
Car crashes.
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Young drivers (ages 16-20) in Sedgwick County
represent 35 of all drivers involved in Personal
Injury Automobile Accidents.
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Young drivers (ages 16-20) in Sedgwick County
represent 35 of all drivers involved in Property
damage Accidents. Property damage accident
under 1,000 dollars are not required to be
reported, and it is believed that reported
accidents represent approximately 50 of all
property damage accidents.
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Contributing Factor
John's Hopkins Univiersity
National Traffic Safety Administration
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
National Center for Health Statistics

• Inexperience
• Risk Taking Behavior
• Greater Risk of Exposure

Cruising
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• Statistical evidence compiled by national, state
  and local governmental safety and insurance
  agencies, have graphically illustrated that
  teenage drivers are involved in a significant
  percentage of automobile accidents.
• Those same studies have identified three
  contributing factors.
• Inexperience
• Risk taking behavior
• Greater risk of exposure

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Risk Taking Behavior

• Strong influences/Peer pressure
• Habits difficult to change once set
• Young drivers perceive/react to risks
  differently than experienced drivers

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In order to address risk taking behavior we have
to be aware that strong influences and peer
pressure are always present. Risk taking behavior
is also reinforced by habits that are difficult
to change once established. And most importantly
young drivers perceive risks differently than
most experienced drivers.
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Risk Taking
Important component of the learning cycle

• How to walk
• How to ride a bicycle
• How to Swim

How to Drive
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Yet risk taking behavior is an important
component of the learning cycle. Our parents
managed our risk taking behavior when we learned
how to walk, ride a bicycle and even how to
swim. In fact, risk taking behavior can be
identified in almost everything weve learned how
to do. Its only when we drive that it is the
most obvious.
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Managing Risk

• Identify potential dangers
• Understand the consequences
• Strong positive influences

Parental Supervision
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When we examine our own life experiences, we can
see how risk taking behavior can be successfully
managed. When we Identify potential dangers,
understand consequences heed to strong
influences like that of parental presence, we can
redirect out risks. Studies have proven that
young drivers often overlook potential dangers,
and are overwhelmed with strong influences. And
we as former teenagers, know that young drivers
clearly understand consequences when there is a
parental presence By emphasizing and extending
parental presence, risk taking behavior can work
to a young drivers advantage.
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SHERIFFS TELLING OUR PARENTS
NEW APPROACH
8700-123456 Working With Parents Young Driver
Crashes Can Be STOPPED
PROMOTING EDUCATED DRIVERS
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Introducing STOPPED
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CONCEPT
Parent Notification System

• Voluntary non-intrusive
• Increases parental presence
• Establishes partnership with parents and law
  enforcement
• Identifies potential problems and presents
  opportunity for
• correction
• Enables the enforcement of parental rules

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A parental notification system developed to
increase parental presence for young drivers. A
voluntary program that establishes a partnership
with parents and law enforcement officers. A
non-intrusive approach intended to provide teens
with the opportunity to think twice, and provide
parents the opportunity to correct potential
problems. A simple program that will increase
young driver responsibility by enabling parents
to enforce parental rules.
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PARENTAL "Rules of the Road"
S.A.D.D. Survey
Parents said their kids Always buckle
up
93 Never speed
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Never drink Drive
92 Their kids said
Regularly drive w/o seatbelts
39 Speed when driving
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Drink drive
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How it Works

• Parents register vehicles with the Sedgwick
  County Sheriffs
• Department.
• They are issued a sticker to be displayed in the
  top corner of the
• drivers side window.

STOPPED STICKER
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Parents register their vehicles with the
Sedgwick County Sheriffs Department. Once
registered parents will be issued a STOPPED
sticker to be displayed in the top corner of the
drivers side windshield.
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How it Works

• Enrolled vehicle stopped by Sheriffs Deputy
• Sticker is viewed by the Deputy who verifies the
  age of the
• driver
• Deputy obtains registered number from sticker

8700-123456 Working With Parents Young Driver
Crashes Can Be STOPPED
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If the vehicle is stopped by Sheriffs Deputies,
the STOPPED window decal is easily viewed by the
Deputy. If the operator of the vehicle is under
the age of 21, the Deputy obtains the decals
registration number.
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How it Works

• Notification card completed and forwarded to
  clerk
• Notification card mailed to registered owner

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The Deputy then will complete the notification
card providing information about the vehicle and
traffic stop. The completed card is turned in at
the end of each shift, then forwarded to a clerk
for processing. The clerk will enter the
decals registration number into a data base to
create a mailing label or print an envelope. The
notification card will then be mailed to the
registered owner.
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Benefits

• Constant visual reminder to drivers
• Notification covers ANY driver under 21
• Provides Deputies additional enforcement
  alternatives
• Registered owners/parents made aware of
  circumstances
• Addresses issues not considered to be violations
• Minimal record keeping
• Impact miscellaneous activity
• 75 of the kids we surveyed said they would
  not tell their parents if stopped by Law
  Enforcement.

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There are many significant benefits. First and
foremost the decal provides young drivers with a
constant visual reminder of their
responsibilities as well as potential
consequences. The notification covers any driver
under 21, regardless of the drivers relationship
to the vehicles owner. Deputies are provided
with an additional enforcement alternative, along
with the means of advising parents of accurate
circumstances. The program can also address
issues not considered to be a law violation, and
can potentially impact miscellaneous activity.
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Win-Win

• Parents- have additional watchful eyes know
  they will be
• informed
• Deputies- become early warning system viewed
  as a partnership
• for safety
• Public - Making roadways safer saving lives
  saving money
• Young drivers- Learning to become responsible
  experienced
• drivers
  

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Results
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The auto has made it possible for young adults to
gain independence, privacy and the ability to
travel great distances while providing unlimited
exposure to danger. There is no single
comprehensive plan that will eliminate accidents
and fatalities there are simply too many
variables. However, this program will bring
HOME a community effort to help our children with
their growth and development, rather than
becoming another roadside memorial.
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S-heriffs T-elling O-ur P-arents P-romoting E-duca
ted D-rivers
8700-123456 Working With Parents Young Driver
Crashes Can Be STOPPED
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For more information Contact the Sedgwick
County Sheriffs Department Community Liaison
Section At 383-7184
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S.T.O.P.P.E.D.
SHERIFF GARY E. STEED