LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clear Lake Area California Highway Patrol will offer free “Start Smart” traffic safety classes for teenage drivers and their parents/guardians.

The two-hour classes will be offered at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 25; Wednesday, Aug. 21; and Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the CHP office, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.

The leading cause of death for Americans 15-20 years old is motor vehicle collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the CHP's goal is to reduce the death rate among teenagers as the result of these collisions.

The CHP’s Start Smart program is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers understand the critical responsibilities of driving and to understand that accidents happen, but collisions are 100-percent preventable.

The program is designed to provide teens and their parents/guardians with an interactive safe driving awareness class which will illustrate how poor choices behind the wheel of a car can affect the lives of numerous people.

Start Smart also focuses on responsibilities of newly licensed drivers, responsibilities of parents and guardians, and collision avoidance techniques.

“The CHP wants to make our resources available to parents and teens when they have questions or issues about new driver development. We want to make ourselves available to the public to allow them to call or come down to talk face to face regarding any issue,” said Lt Greg Baarts. “This is a valuable program for parents and their newly licensed or soon to be licensed teen.”

Space is limited for this class. For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office, 707-279-0103.