Gov. Deal Forming Teen Drivers Advisory Panel

Governor Nathan Deal is forming a Governor’s Commission on Teen Driving, to be comprised of at least 15 members between the ages of 15 and 19.

Supervised by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, this commission will prepare reports to the governor outlining ideas for a statewide strategy to educate teen drivers on hazards such as drunken driving and texting and driving.

“No one can advise our state on how to reach teenagers better than teenagers,” said Harris Blackburn, director of the highway safety office.

The deadline for teen drivers to apply to serve on the commission is Sept. 20.

It has been a long time since I was a teen driver, though only a few years since my children were teen drivers. We tend to forget how different our skills and judgment were when we lacked experience behind the wheel. This is a good move to collect fresh insights from today’s teen drivers.

Having worked with Governor Deal’s team on the Criminal Justice Reform Council, I am confident that this is not just window dressing but a legitimate effort to find ways to improve the safety of teens on the roads.

———————————————————————

 Ken Shigley is immediate past president of the State Bar of Georgia and current chair of the board of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education in Georgia. Lead author of Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation & Practice (West, 2010-12), he has an AV Preeminent rating in Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, double board certification in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Advocacy from the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification (formerly National Board of Trial Advocacy). In addition, he is listed in Super Lawyers (Atlanta Magazine), Legal Elite (Georgia Trend) and Who’s Who in Law (Atlanta Business Chronicle). He currently serves on the Georgia Criminal Justice Reform Council.