Mesa officer pushes for young driver safety
Aug 21, 2012, 6:58 AM | Updated: 6:59 am
As more young people slide behind the wheel, one Mesa police officer is driving home an important safety message.
“It’s no fun having to go and notify families that their loved ones are going to never come home,” said Mesa Police Officer James Boubelik, who’s been in the traffic division for nearly two decades.
He’s also the father of four boys, which makes it particularly difficult for him when responding to fatal traffic accidents involving young drivers.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers 15 to 20 are especially vulnerable to death and injury on roadways. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America.
According to NHTSA, inexperience and immaturity combined with speed, not wearing seat belts and distracted driving (cellphone use, loud music, other teen passengers, etc.) lead to crashes involving teen drivers.
As a father and a police officer, dealing with issues such as underage drinking and drug use within the family can be tricky. Boubelik said he leaves lines of communication open with his children.
“I would much rather go and pick my son up from a party and be a upset with him, than having to go down to the county morgue and identify his body because he’s been killed in a car accident,” he said.
