During a busy campaign season, Rep. Tim Bishop stopped by Sachem High School East last week to receive an award for his work with the Surface Transportation Act.
Rep. Bishop was presented with the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Champion Award from State Farm. He helped craft GDL language in the Surface Transportation Act, which insures that novice drivers receive a restricted Learner’s Permit before being granted full driving privileges.
According to a release from Rep. Bishop’s office, 16-year-old drivers have a vehicle crash rate 10 times that of drivers between 30 and 60 years of age, but by gradually acclimating teens to the road, states instituting strong GDL programs have experienced a reduction in teen driver crashes of up to 40 percent.
“We’re moving in the right direction as a country but a lot of the responsibility falls to you: it’s up to you to be responsible with the privilege of driving a vehicle,” said Rep. Bishop in a statement. “I’d like to thank Sachem East High School for opening their doors to this important event and salute all of our community partners in protecting the safety of our young drivers.”
The event at Sachem East was held to raise awareness during Teen Driver Safety Week, which began on Monday and continues through this weekend. Participants included the Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County Sheriff Department, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Education & Assistance Corporation (EAC), and State Farm Insurance.
“This June, when Congress was negotiating a new Surface Transportation Bill, Congressman Bishop pressed his colleagues to include strong GDL language in the bill and his efforts will save lives,” said John P. Fischer, a State Farm Agent in Selden who presented the award to Congressman Bishop.
“Teaming up with State Farm to promote teen safe driving has provided our students with many opportunities to learn about the harmful effects of distracted driving,” said Sachem East Principal Lou Antonetti. “Witnessing Congressman Tim Bishop receive an award for promoting teen safe driving shows that government leaders are taking the issue seriously. This will only enhance our students’ efforts to be mindful when driving.”
-Words and photos by Chris R. Vaccaro