LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol will once again be offering a traffic safety education program for local teenagers.

The “Start Smart” program will be offered in July, August and September, according to Officer Kory Reynolds of the Clear Lake CHP office.

Traffic collisions are the No. 1 killer of teenagers in America. Nationally about 5,000 teens will die in automobile crashes.

About 10 percent of those deaths are in California alone. In California in 2007, there were 82,506 collisions involving teenage drivers statewide, 457 resulted in fatalities, according to the CHP.

The Clear Lake Area California Highway Patrol office will offer several, free, Start Smart traffic safety classes for teenage drivers and their parents.

The program aims to help future and newly-licensed teenage drivers learn the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of being a licensed driver.

It is an educational tool for parents and teens to reduce the number of teen injuries and deaths resulting from traffic collisions.

The program provides information on defensive driving, state traffic laws, dynamics of traffic collisions, tips on avoiding collisions and awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence.

The classes will run approximately two hours and will be offered on Monday, July 18; Monday, Aug. 15; and Monday, Sept. 12.

Classes will start at 6:30 p.m. at the CHP office in Kelseyville, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive, Kelseyville.

Space is limited for this class. For more information or reservations, call Reynolds, 707-279-0103.

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