A viewing of Red Asphalt is enough to get any teenager to think hard about the responsibility he takes on when he puts his foot on the accelerator.
It’s 15 minutes of unintended consequences drivers could face, and it will be shown at the next Santa Maria-based California Highway Patrol Start Smart Class for new drivers license holders and their parents.
The class also addresses ways to avoid what’s shown in the video. Highway patrol officers will discuss how to avoid getting into an accident, what causes an accident, what accident trends are in Santa Maria, driver and parent responsibilities, and why using a seatbelt is important. In addition, officers will talk about their experiences investigating fatal accidents involving teens.
The next free, two-hour Start Smart class will be on March 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Santa Maria office of the California Highway Patrol, 1710 N. Carlotti Drive.
Reservations can be made by calling the highway patrol office at 349-8728.
This article appears in Feb 21-28, 2013.