Keeping Teens Safe Behind the Wheel Focus of Safety Fair

Getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage for many teens, a taste of independence and freedom by not having to rely on someone else to get around. For too many teens, inexperience, immaturity or just plain bad luck result in a traffic accident, some with tragic results.

Keeping the roads safe was the goal of the Teen Driver Safety Fair held Saturday at . Dozens of booths and exhibits—many with Halloween candy tempting passers-by—were on hand with information about law enforcement, insurance, driving schools, car maintenance and more.

Educational sessions were held inside the school, with lectures and q-and-a sessions featuring trauma doctors, law-enforcement officials, DMV representatives and attorneys.

A DJ spun lively tunes and Culture Shock Dance, a hip-hop dance troupe, busted some moves. A rock-climbing wall had people on it all day.

It was next to the wall where the festive atmosphere turned somber. The obliterated remains of an SUV that was rammed by a drunken teen driver in 2009 were on display; the woman driving it was killed after the teen ran a red light fleeing a hit-and-run scene. People stopped and took a good, long look at the wreckage and photos from the crash scene in Santee, a powerful reminder of what is at stake.