Traffic Campaign has Students Peeved

For Darien High School seniors, a speeding ticket costs more than a few dollars; violating the rules of the road will now cost them parking privileges as well.

The Drive Home Safe Campaign, or DHS, was initiated last week. It’s a collaborative effort of the high school administration and the Darien Police Department to motivate students to obey traffic laws and to keep nearby roads safe. If a student driver is stopped for a traffic violation within a one-mile radius of campus, they’ll receive a ticket and lose their parking spot at the school.

Two traffic officers police the high school neighborhood (Holly Lane, Noroton Avenue and Libby Lane) at the beginning and end of the school day, 7:20 a.m. and 2:20 p.m. respectively. Police have enlisted help from residents too. Homeowners are encouraged to call in reports of risky teenage driving to police with necessary information.

“People who live in that neighborhood can feel relatively helpless. We hope this empowers them,” said Officer T. Court Isaac, of the Darien Police Department's Traffic Division.

Isaac added that while the residents have always had the ability to file a complaint, not everyone provides the information necessary for the police to help. He said a detailed description of the driver and the car including a plate number are key identifiers.

But Isaac said he’s not “Mr. Mean hiding in the bushes.” What really drives this campaign is protecting the lives of teen drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers, mile for mile.

“I’d be happy not handing out tickets. I don’t get a gold star if I get five kids suspended. What I want is to get the message out there to slow down, wear your seatbelt and drive carefully,” said Isaac.

As for the students, the majority feels the campaign is an unfair infringement on students’ rights. Darien Patch met with a few of them Thursday afternoon, one week since the DHS initiation. Watch the video to hear what seniors had to say.