District institutes tougher standards for new drivers
Jackson administrators say teens, parents and police will unite in effort
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Officer Colin Menafra

JACKSON - Teenagers who are currently juniors at Jackson Memorial and Jackson Liberty high schools will face a set of new rules in September if they want to obtain and hold on to their school parking permits when they are seniors.

Juniors from both high schools met on May 1 for special assemblies regarding driver safety.

As part of the Jackson School District's renewed focus on teen driver safety, parents were asked to attend a required evening program.

Parents who were unable to attend the May 1 session will have an opportunity to attend a program during the summer. The parents' attendance is required in order for their child to receive a school parking pass next fall.

In the wake of several motor vehicle accidents that claimed the lives of Jackson students, district administrators are implementing new procedures for students who want to have the privilege of parking at their school.

Jackson Memorial Principal Anthony Gaita told the students that "we are looking to give you an awareness as you become 17 and you are gaining your driver's license. [On the other hand, many] parents have that fear" that students may be involved in an accident.

Gaita said the aim of the program is to make students aware of how to handle themselves and what occurs when they obtain a license. He said the new program must be taken seriously and cooperation is expected from students and parents.

The morning program at Jackson Memorial included presenters, a video and a look at the new regulations for the coming school year.

School resource officers Burt Salisbury and Colin Menafra addressed the students.

"It all comes back to decision making," Salisbury said."Youhave to make clear decisions about what thosearoundyouaredoingo r whatyour friendsaregoing to think about."

Salisbury told the students that the time to make proper decisions and to figure out who they are and to put their own value structure into place is in high school.

"All of you want to drive," he said. "All of you want to have freedom and to do what you feel like doing, so start making the right decisions. Start basing your decisions on what is best for you and not what you think everybody around you thinks you should be doing, because this weekend when you go to the prom, it's very easy to fall into the trap of putting the good times before safety and proper decision making."

Menafra spoke about the consequences of drinking and using drugs.

Students acted out a party scene with a variety of personalities and portrayed how people interact after using alcohol and/or drugs. Also noted was the embarrassment faced by one student when she was photographed by her closest friend and the pictures were placed on the Internet, another consequence of one's behavior.

Assistant Principal Tom Tarver described the steps required to obtain a parking permit for the 2008-09 school year, when 761 seniors will vie for permits.

"We are making changes to bring an increased driver safety awareness to students," Tarver said, noting there will be more accountability and explaining that the program aims to have students, parents and the police involved.

Tarver said students will be subject to losing their parking permit for any number of reasons, including excessive lateness, repeated discipline problems, parking in staff areas, stealing someone else's parking permit, using someone else's parking permit or having moving violations.

He said police will work with school administrators in the effort.

Wrapping up the program, Molly Ber-kowitz, an injury prevention coordinator at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center Trauma Center, Neptune, described the types of injuries people sustain in motor vehicle accidents.

"I am here today to tell you what will happen when a student makes a decision to drink and drive," Berkowitz said.

She also noted that cell phones and iPod devices can distract a driver and lead to an accident.

Berkowitz described what happens at the scene of an accident and what happens to a patient when he or she arrives at the trauma center, including specific medical action that must be taken in an attempt to save an individual's life. Sometimes an accident victim cannot be saved, she told the students.