SHERIFF'S TELLING OUR PARENTS AND PROMOTING EDUCATED DRIVERS

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        CONTACT: Terrence L. Jungel

 May 19, 2008                                               (517) 485-3135

THE MICHIGAN SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 11 NEW COUNTY PARTICIPANTS IN STOPPED TEEN DRIVING PROGRAM

Sault Sainte Marie, MI – The Michigan Sheriffs’ Association (MSA), Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and AAA Michigan announce the third expansion of the award-winning STOPPED (Sheriffs Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers) Program.  Sheriffs and deputies from the 11 new counties will attend mandatory STOPPED training on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at the Kewadin Conference Center in Sault Sainte Marie.   

Funding for the program, which is available to parents free of charge, has graciously been provided by AAA Michigan since 2006.  Working together MSA and AAA Michigan are striving to foster a partnership between parents and law enforcement to promote safe driving by teens.  In its first year STOPPED was sponsored by the Office of Highway Safety Planning and MSA.

“The fact that the STOPPED program continues to expand underscores its success,” said Secretary Land, ho is making program information available to customers in branch offices across Michigan.  “By engaging both parents and teens in safe-driving discussions, STOPPED encourages an open dialogue within families that can help save lives.  We applaud the work of the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association and AAA Michigan to keep our roads safe, and we’re excited to continue our participation in this worthwhile program.”

Parents simply register their vehicle online at www.michigansheriff.com and a STOPPED sticker is mailed to their home to be placed on the vehicle’s windshield.  It serves as a visible reminder to the young driver to drive safely and responsibly, and that should he or she be pulled over for any reason, the parents will receive a letter regarding the incident. 

The notification feature makes parents aware of any potential problems and enables them to enforce rules they have set regarding teenage driving privileges.  Information in the letter includes the time, location, number of passengers, reason for the stop and whether a citation was issued. 

“There is nothing more important to a parent than the protection of their children,” said MSA Executive Director Terrence L. Jungel. “Sheriffs and all of law enforcement understand this and we are here to help you any way we can.”

STOPPED, which began in 2005 with pilot programs in seven Michigan counties, expanded to 27 counties in 2006 and 67 counties in 2007.

“With more than 4,800 vehicles registered in the program, there have been no reported accidents or injuries,” said Jack Peet, Manager of Community Safety Services for AAA Michigan.  “In addition, there were only nine letters that needed to be sent to parents.  That tells me the teen drivers are seeing the sticker and thinking twice about taking unsafe chances they might otherwise take when it comes to driving.” 

The Michigan Sheriffs’ Association, created in 1877, is the oldest law enforcement organization in the state. For more information about the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association, or to support programs like STOPPED as a citizen or business member, please visit our Web site at www.michigansheriff.com.