testimonials

In today’s world, programs like Driving Angels are crucial due to the numerous distractions available to drivers. With GPS, streaming music, and text messages, drivers often find themselves immersed in their own world of entertainment. As a father of three, I take immense pride in knowing that our department is part of this program. The dedication of those involved is remarkable, and the high number of successful course completions serves as a testament to its effectiveness.

The Driving Angels program was conceived one hot afternoon in 2009 as Colerain police officers stood on Interstate 275 looking at the aftermath of another senseless death as a result of bad decision by a teenager. This was the third death in 2 years and, ironically, involved a close friend of the other two victims. Sadness, frustration and determination led to identifying a group of public safety professionals and high school students dedicated to making a difference. In the last seven years, we have reached over 1000 young people and, I truly believe, we have saved lives. Many programs begin strong, but end after the initial awareness and excitement wear off. That has not happened with the Driving Angels. The torch continues to be passed to students wanting to make a difference. Strong leadership is vital to the success of the Driving Angels, and the students and staff are impressive and strong leaders. As long as they need to educate young drivers exists, the Colerain Police Department will be proud participants of the Driving Angels.

The Driving Angels Program is important because it gives young drivers a chance to revisit what they learned in driver’s training. Let’s face it… we send our young people to driver’s school for a relatively short period of time. They obtain their driver’s license, and then there is usually very little follow-up or continued education or training. Eventually, the young driver makes a mistake. Once the mistake is made, the system (parents, school officials, police officers, & juvenile court magistrates) “react” with some sort of punitive action. We focus on the mistakes made and put very little effort into the development of knowledge, skill, and decision-making ability of the teenage driver. The Driving Angels Program has the potential to make a tremendous positive impact on our community. Traffic Safety is a “quality of life” issue. The better we can prepare our young people for the risks and responsibilities of driving a motor vehicle, the better off the entire community will be.