Comments Document

Good Afternoon My name is Debbie Jennings, Director of Highway Safety Programs for the Chesapeake Region Safety Council. Our organization is a 101-year-old chapter of the National Safety Council (CRSC). We conduct additional advocacy and efforts for safety – on the roads, in the community and the workplace throughout Virginia and surrounding states, independent of our responsibilities and programs as the assigned National Safety Council chapter for the state. This written testimony is being submitted in favor of Virginia House Bill 1549 – which addresses a motor vehicle’s operation by an unlicensed minor. It is well documented that motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of unintentional injury and death for teens and young adults in the United States. Becoming a safe driver through Virginia’s Graduated Licensing process is the proven way to ensure that a young driver has the training, supervised experience and knowledge to tackle challenging situations on the road. Young unlicensed drivers that circumvent the established licensing process pose a serious and much increased threat to themselves and other roadway users. Owners of motor vehicles that knowingly offer use of their vehicle, either to an unlicensed and therefore either uneducated or a documented high-risk young driver that has had their license revoked, should be held accountable for their decision to enable the vehicle’s operation. Chesapeake Region Safety Council supports HB 1549. The changes listed in this bill are a step in the right direction, providing additional countermeasures to reduce the prevalence of Virginia’s most dangerous drivers. Contact: Debbie Jennings, Director of Highway Safety Programs and Special Projects Chesapeake Region Safety Council 443.532.5847

Comments Document

Good Afternoon My name is Debbie Jennings, Director of Highway Safety Programs for the Chesapeake Region Safety Council. Our organization is a 101-year-old chapter of the National Safety Council (CRSC). We conduct additional advocacy and efforts for safety – on the roads, in the community and the workplace throughout Virginia and surrounding states, independent of our responsibilities and programs as the assigned National Safety Council chapter for the state. This written testimony is being submitted in favor of Virginia House Bill 1549 – which addresses a motor vehicle’s operation by an unlicensed minor. It is well documented that motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of unintentional injury and death for teens and young adults in the United States. Becoming a safe driver through Virginia’s Graduated Licensing process is the proven way to ensure that a young driver has the training, supervised experience and knowledge to tackle challenging situations on the road. Young unlicensed drivers that circumvent the established licensing process pose a serious and much increased threat to themselves and other roadway users. Owners of motor vehicles that knowingly offer use of their vehicle, either to an unlicensed and therefore either uneducated or a documented high-risk young driver that has had their license revoked, should be held accountable for their decision to enable the vehicle’s operation. Chesapeake Region Safety Council supports HB 1549. The changes listed in this bill are a step in the right direction, providing additional countermeasures to reduce the prevalence of Virginia’s most dangerous drivers. Contact: Debbie Jennings, Director of Highway Safety Programs and Special Projects Chesapeake Region Safety Council 443.532.5847

I support all of the bills above.