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Law

Warning Letter To Young Drivers Rankles Some Parents

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Get a traffic ticket, get a letter of reprimand from the Department of Licensing. That’s how it works in Washington if you are a driver between the ages of 16 and 21. The letter-writing campaign is designed to reduce crashes among younger drivers. But some parents don’t appreciate it.

The letter to young drivers starts out: “Not cool: your driving record shows that you were found to have committed the following traffic violation.” The warning comes from the Washington Department of Licensing.

It goes on to say that research shows young drivers who get a ticket are twice as likely to be involved in a crash.

At first Washington was sending these letters to just 16 and 17 year olds. But last fall the program expanded to include another high-risk group of drivers -- 18 to 21 year olds.

Now Licensing is getting some letters back from irked parents. Tonya Pettit started her letter: “Not cool: Harassment.”

“My daughter went to court, she paid her ticket, she didn’t deserve to receive additional reprimand," Pettit says. "It’s just not necessary.”

Pettit says Licensing should focus on “serious lawbreakers” not teens going a few miles over the speed limit.

The agency says its goal is not to “chastise” but to let young drivers know that “poor choices can have serious and even deadly consequences.”

On the Web:

Teen driver safety:

http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/teensafety.html

Some parents don’t appreciate the letter of reprimand sent to young drivers by the Was. Department of Licensing. Photo by Claire Thompson via Flickr
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Some parents don’t appreciate the letter of reprimand sent to young drivers by the Was. Department of Licensing. Photo by Claire Thompson via Flickr

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.