Choose S.A.F.E. helps families navigate the challenges new drivers face

PARKER, Colo. — As teens begin getting behind the wheel, AdventHealth’s Choose S.A.F.E. program is helping Colorado families turn concern into confidence.

The Colorado-based initiative, supported by AdventHealth, is designed to reduce teen injuries and deaths from motor vehicle crashes by reminding drivers — and the adults guiding them — of four essential habits:

• Seat belts and safe speeds
• Avoid alcohol and drugs
• Focus on the road
• Eliminate distractions

“If you have a teenager getting behind the wheel this year, you’re probably feeling a bit of pride — and a lot of nerves,” said Mindie Ottke, RN, BSN, injury prevention coordinator and creator of the Choose S.A.F.E. initiative. “It’s not enough to teach them how to drive. You need to talk about safety, set clear rules and model the behavior you want them to follow.”

Choose S.A.F.E. encourages schools to offer the program as a peer-led campaign and can also provide classroom or auditorium-style presentations.

The initiative is built to support both students and parents during one of the most important learning phases of driving.

For parents, the program emphasizes three practical steps: know the law, be the example and keep the conversation going.

Colorado’s Graduated Driver Licensing laws include curfews, passenger restrictions and a ban on underage cellphone use, yet many families are not fully familiar with the details.

Choose S.A.F.E. also encourages parents to lead by example behind the wheel and to keep reinforcing expectations over time, including through tools like a parent-teen driving contract.

Families can also access a free, self-paced webinar through the ThinkFirst for Parents of Teen Drivers video, which covers Colorado’s GDL laws, safe driving habits and ways to help monitor a teen’s driving safety.

For more information or to bring Choose S.A.F.E. to a school, email Mindie Ottke at Mindie.Ottke@AdventHealth.com.