A Public Forum for Parents of Young Drivers and Passengers

The Saanich Police and the staff and teachers of Saanich schools are concerned about the number of young drivers and passengers who are injured or killed in crashes each year. Families in Greater Victoria lost 11 young people to crashes in 2003; eight of which were in Saanich. Although we lost less in in the past 6 years, many young drivers involved in accidents received life-altering injuries.  We know there will be more tragic losses in 2010; don't let your child be one of them.

We have found that although there are many effective programs offered to provide your kids with the tools they need to make smart choices, there are also many other competing messages.  Videos, movies, games and commercials reinforce negative behaviours in relation to driving. We need you to be the counter message; to reinforce the positive messages!  We understand this is not always an easy or natural task.

So often after a tragic crash, parents and guardians are left wondering what they could have done to prevent it. To date, we have hosted a series of forums for parents and students at numerous high schools in Saanich and Greater Victoria.  These forums will allow you to hear first hand what happens in a crash, what your child will go through, the long term impact of crashes and what you can do to reduce the risk to your child.

Emergency personnel from police, ambulance, and hospitals will relay their experiences first hand. You will hear a personal message about the impact of losing a family member and you will hear about the programs and messages your kids are getting through the schools. We will provide you with tips, resources and contacts to help you have conversations with your kids; conversations that could save their lives. We will then provide you an opportunity to ask our presenters any questions you have, or to offer your own tips to help others.

In order to evaluate the impact of the program we will be asking attendees to complete a survey.  Those who do, and provide their contact information, will be eligible to win a Graduated Licence Defensive Driving lessons package from Young Drivers of Canada, valued at over $900.

You are invited to join us for what will prove to be a powerful and informative evening. If possible we encourage you to bring your teenage child who is, or will soon be, a young driver, or passenger in a vehicle with another young driver. We realize your time is precious and schedules are busy, but we also know you care. We have had large turnouts in the past for these free events, so we ask you to pre-register with your school. Please do not let apathy or denial prevent you from participating, as these tragedies can happen to anyone at any time.

We will be updating this page as soon as the new 2010 schedule is set. 

                                      All are welcome!

We look forward to your attendance and participation and remember...
"Talk to your kids, so we don't have to talk to you"