Community leaders met Monday to discuss Teen Driver Safety Week, scheduled for Oct. 18‑24, and how to better prepare teens for the road. The meeting highlighted the need for coordinated education and outreach as a response to ongoing traffic safety concerns.
Lt. Cody Fulwiler of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Traffic Bureau stressed the importance of parental involvement, noting that distracted driving, drugs and alcohol, and speed are key risk factors. “It's such a big responsibility, driving on our roadways as a teenager,” he said, adding that teens now have fewer opportunities to gain experience because rideshare options and digital distractions limit practice, and driver‑ed classes are less available in high schools. “The other aspect is getting that experience because, as we're seeing, there are fewer opportunities to get that experience as teen driver.”
Jeff Payne, founder of the nonprofit Driver's Edge, explained that the organization offers free, hands‑on emergency driving and safety education for young drivers 21 and younger. “It just better prepares them for the real world, and I think everyone agrees that it's crazy out there,” Payne said. “You need every advantage possible.”
Clark County Commission Chairman Michael Naft announced the new “Good 2 Go” safety campaign, urging teens to get proper driver education and practice safe habits. “Get trained, get licensed is the campaign we've launched today,” Naft said, noting that billboards, social media and digital ads will promote the effort. Fulwiler reported that Metro traffic fatalities dropped from 130 last year to 97 this year, but he cautioned that the numbers remain too high, especially with a rise in September‑December incidents linked to holiday parties and drinking.
Sources: 8 News Now
Original reporting: 8 News Now →
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