Back to School: Operation Safe Travel

With the traditional Cumberland County school calendar beginning in one week, it's time to think about driver safety.

One of the goals of the NC Highway Patrol is to reduce teenage driver collisions. In an effort to accomplish this goal, the NC Highway Patrol has requested the assistance of the Cumberland County School system in informing parents of high school students who drive to school to be aware of the following issues:

1) Speeding

2) Seat Belt Usage

3) Limited Provisional License Violation; Level II Restriction (1 teenage passenger)

4) Distractions; i.e., texting while driving; cell phone usage

Troopers will be patrolling the main thoroughfares and roads that feed into the County schools during the first two weeks of the school year. It is strongly encouraged that parents make their teenagers aware that enforcement actions will be taken for substantial, clear-cut violations of motor vehicle laws as indicated above.

To start with talking points for your teen drivers, view the mangled automobiles that were involved in texting and driving incidents on the Safe Texting Campaign website.