By Janice Morse
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SPECIAL REPORT

• Careless teenage drivers on Collision Course

HAMILTON - The warning days are over for teen drivers caught breaking traffic laws in Butler County, officials said Tuesday.

"In this county, you don't get warnings anymore," said Lt. Michael Black, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol post here. "You get tickets - because, unfortunately, that's the way that they get the message."

Black was among two dozen officials from Butler County Juvenile Court, police agencies and Southwest Ohio safety groups who announced a new plan aimed at reducing teen-involved serious and fatal car crashes.

While such crashes have been an issue for years, Black said the problem became painfully acute after eight Greater Cincinnati teens died in five weeks between Feb. 14 and March 19.

Black organized the group, which began working in November after a previous wave of wrecks killed four Butler County teens and hurt 10 others. Black said teenagers and their parents can expect the following changes immediately:

• Court officials may now suspend licenses of teen drivers for a month or more after a teen is convicted of exceeding speed limits by 15 mph or more.

• Schools and other groups will sponsor more teen-driver safety programs - and more programs urging parents to closely monitor their young drivers.

• Courts will order parents to accompany teen traffic-law violators to a safety clinic called CARTeens, where other young drivers tell how fatal and serious crashes affected them.

• High schools will broadcast new public-service announcements that emphasize the consequences of irresponsible or reckless driving.

"Whether or not you have lost a child on the roadway, this affects you. This absolutely affects you," said Linda Barrett of Middletown, whose 17-year-old daughter, Kristen Norris, was killed in a crash last month. "You have family and you are on the roads. ... This is for the safety of us all."

Barrett, who attended Tuesday's news conference to learn more about the safe-driving initiative, said police, parents, judges, lawmakers - and teens, too - must work together to deter dangerous driving.

"This is a community problem," she said.

Last year, 30 people were killed in traffic crashes in Butler County - 10 of them juveniles. So far this year, six people have died in car crashes - four of them teens.

Butler County Juvenile Court Judge David Niehaus said parents need to reinforce the messages about safe driving to their children.

"I know kids don't like preaching, but this is an area where you've got to keep talking to your kids about cars - that massive machinery is deadly," Niehaus said.

Parents need to police their children's driving even after they reach 18 or 19 years old, Niehaus said. "Parents may have to continue in that role instead of abdicating it," he said, especially for young adults who remain on their parents' insurance policies and have a history of risky driving.

Niehaus said some teens and young adults get jobs in order to pay for high-performance extras for their cars, which is a concern because speed is a factor in many teen-involved crashes.

"They can make these cars do things I never believed could happen," he said. "They can push a button and it's just like it's jet-propelled ... and pretty soon it's smashed into an object that isn't going to move."

Niehaus and fellow Butler County Juvenile Court Judge Ron Craft said they are so concerned about speeding they have ordered magistrates to strongly consider suspending the driver's licenses of teens convicted of exceeding the speed limit by more than 15 mph.

"This applies to all juvenile traffic violators, including those who are appearing for their first offenses," Niehaus said.

Warren County Juvenile Court Judge Mike Powell adopted a similar policy last year. He thinks it may have helped reduce the number of tickets police have given to teens in that county.

Parents may not like the idea of the suspensions, but Niehaus said, "Driving is not a necessity. It's a convenience for the parents. ... If you, as a parent, count on your child to be able to drive, your child must understand that you are counting on him or her to do so responsibly - and legally and safely."

But parents should not wait for a court to take action, said Butler County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Richard K. Jones. Parents can take away the car keys and a driver's license if rules are violated.

"I have teenagers, and I used to threaten them with riding 'the big yellow bus,' if I caught them speeding or having a heavy foot or getting in the car with someone else who does," Jones said. "Hopefully, this threat also will save some lives."

E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com