IPromise Program

The following is an article that appeared in the Vernonia Independent. The Vernonia Police Department recommends that all parents and relatives of families with young drivers to visit the I Promise Web Site. The Vernonia Police Department would like to promote a very important program to everyone who has or will have a young driver in their family. The I Promise Program is a teen driving initiative designed to reduce the risk of teen driving crashes, injuries, and deaths. Given the recent deaths of the two 18 year old girls and on Highway 26 and multitude of serious crashes in the Vernonia area, safe and responsible driving is a very important issue facing parents and teens alike. Just yesterday I was returning from the Richland, Washington area when my family and I saw a fatal truck/motorcycle accident near the Biggs area. My daughter is six years from her driver’s license but I worry how responsible she will be and how responsible her friends will be when it comes to driving. We can’t be with our children 100% of the time but we can make every effort to teach them responsibility and be in the back of their minds when they are making decisions. The I Promise Program is a free and can be found at www.ipromiseprogram.com . It consists of a voluntary contract between teens and parents as well as a window sign that invites people to call a number if the vehicle exhibits unsafe or reckless driving. All parents with young drivers should go to the Web Site to learn about the program and to see some startling facts about teen driving. If you do not have Internet access you can call me at 503-429-7335 and I can help you get a copy of the contract and window sign. Chief Mathew Workman