by Ronald Hebel

The Millstadt Police Department presented a four hour seminar that was geared around teen drivers age 17 and under, along with their parents, focused on the safety and the affects certain things like alcohol which endangers their lives. Officer Brandon Dugger & Lt. Alan Hucke welcomed everyone and introduced the program, with Dennis Hauch from the Burr Insurance Agency here in town to speak about the cause and affect on insurance rates when teen are involved. “When a teen driver comes into the picture, parents can expect their rates to go up from $50 -$120 per month,” explains Mr. Hauch. He gave those in attendance a list of seven points that play into the cause of rates. He also gave the young people present some sound advice, “When you feel that new profound freedom that you get when sitting behind the wheel, remember your parents are responsible financially for all you do while behind that wheel.” I found one statement that he made to be absolutely amazing, that an insurance policy could actually be written for someone who had a DUI on their record that was lower than someone with a perfect driving record but had bad credit. This is absolutely obscene and should have absolutely nothing to do with the rate of someone’s premium rate. Mr. Hauch mentioned that most accidents occur among teens after school and after 10:00 pm.

A PowerPoint slide show was presented by the department on various rules of the road, and the cause and effects of those not exercising safety when driving. These things included improper use of the vehicle, such as using cell phones & texting, as well as the uses of alcohol and drugs. There were some very compelling videos that were presented that really made me stop and think, and I am way past my teenage years. One of those things was how a passenger in the vehicle who was not wearing a seatbelt, cause bodily harm to those passengers who were. They became a projectile wreaking havoc on everything within the vehicle. Another thing, I have a bum left shoulder, and the seatbelt irritates that shoulder when I wear a seatbelt, so I use a clip to extend the belt so it isn’t so tight. I learned that this could still cause me to make serious contact with the steering wheel if I were involved in an accident.

The Illinois State Police were also present to speak, reiterating much that was already said. There was one thing however that they said that caught my attention, and that is the fact that most drunk drivers seem to follow tail lights of other vehicles. The State Police did have a test vehicle on hand to show the affects of someone who isn’t wearing their seatbelt while rolling their vehicle. The driver not wearing their seatbelt was actually thrown from the vehicle while the baby in the back in a car seat was still in the seat virtually unharmed.

Once everyone finished with lunch that was provided by the police department, Officer Kevin Witschie presented various tips on vehicle maintenance, more so, preventive maintenance that increased the safety for the one who was about to drive. One thing that he mentioned that makes a great deal of sense was the walk around inspection of the vehicle before driving it. So often we just jump in our vehicles and take-off, when a simple one minute inspection our vehicle could head off a potential problem.

Right before the closing of the program the department presented two illustrations outside. One was a demonstration of the use of the canine officer on finding drugs within the vehicle. K9 Officer Joe Wagner was the presenter, and I was amused at his animated way of making his point. One thing that he stressed along with the other officers, was how being totally honest and respectful to an officer will go a long way even if you are guilty of a wrong doing. Many people have a misconception that a police officer is out to get you, when really most of the time an officer of the law will give you a break if you are truthful and respectful. We all must understand that a large majority of us when we go to work are not at risk of be harmed, while every time an officer puts on their uniform and reports to work, their life is potentially at risk. So we should always show them the respect they deserve and have earned.

The other presentation was the driving of a golf cart while wearing a pair of goggles that give you the affect of being intoxicated. I saw an awful lot of orange cones get knocked over and even ran over. This is a very good illustration to show you how impaired you are while driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

In closing out the program the various officers gave a brief statement along with pictures of their encounters with drunk drivers. Those who spoke were Officer Joe Wagner, Officer Kevin Witschie, Officer Brandon Dugger, and Lt. Alan Hucke. I asked two teens who were present what they thought of the program, Cody McManus said, “It helped me realize and think about what I should and shouldn’t do while driving that could help save my life. I really liked the event. Also Brian Holfrich said, “I learned things about driving to help keep me safe, I enjoyed all of this stuff.

As I sat through the entire program for four hours, I couldn’t help think that although this program was for young people, I think every age group would learn something significant to help them be safer on the road and behind the wheel of their vehicle. Within the next couple days I plan on posting the PowerPoint presentation of factual information and videos that were presented, I think they would be very helpful for all to see. You can go to www.ctimes.us.com and then click on Millstadt, then click on “Community Headline News,” where the story will be listed. I would like to thank the Millstadt Police Department and the whole staff for presenting such a useful program that hopefully will have a huge effect upon those present.

The Millstadt Police Department is holding a Trivia Night & Silent Auction on Saturday, March 13th at 7:00 pm that will be held at the St. James Parish Center. Look for the ad in this publication for further information.