Schools

Parent Center, Central District taking on DWI

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According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, more than 17,000 people die in drunk-driving crashes annually -- one person every 30 minutes.

Officials in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District and at the Community Parent Center take that statistic to heart, said Wendy Tepfer, the parent center's director. And so she teamed up with Saul Lerner, the Central District's health and physical education director, to bring an innovative anti-DWI program to Bellmore-Merrick next Thursday.

The district and parent center are presenting, "And These Our Friends," a production of Theatre Three of Port Jefferson that speaks to the dangers of drugged, drunken and distracted driving.

It's critical that parents take an active role in educating their children about safe driving practices, Tepfer and Lerner said. In the past, students needed only 20 hours of driving time before receiving their licenses. The state Department of Motor Vehicles recently increased that requirement to 50 hours, in part based on recommendations from Lerner when he served on a state committee that examined driver's education. Still, Lerner said he believes 50 hours is too little for most young people.

Tepfer and Lerner also said that it's critical that parents monitor who their children are driving with. They noted that the more people in the car, the more young people tend to become distracted as they drive. Ideally, they should be driving with no more than one friend until they become comfortable driving.

The theatrical production is being sponsored in part by Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg and is being held during National Youth Safety Month, which precedes "the 100 deadliest days" on the roads, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Tepfer and Lerner are urging parents of young drivers to attend "And These Our Friends" with their children at the Brookside School on May 20 at 7:30 p.m. The Brookside School is at 1260 Meadowbrook Road in North Merrick. For more information, call (516) 771-9346.

Comments about this story? Sbrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.