Safe driving among our youngest motorists gets special attention this month, with National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 14th through 20th.    

And one of Mansfield's most vocal safe driving advocates says parents must take a leading role in teaching their teens the rules of the road and arriving alive.

Mansfield-Ontario-Richland County Health Department Health Educator Reed Richmond worked for a few years as a driving instructor, and recommends parents take stern control when teaching their teens to drive.

Ohio law requires parents to log at least fifty hours with their teens behind the wheel, but the more time the better.

Richmond says parents should clearly spell out the responsibilities that come with driving and the consequences of failing to meet those responsbilities, starting with taking the keys away from their teen.

He suggests starting driver's training in an empty parking lot, then to lonely country roads, then city streets, then the freeway.

And don't forget to teach your teen drive at night, and most importantly, on snow and ice-covered roads.

Richmond says teens should be taught to be confident drivers, but with the fear that a split second of inattention or distraction can have tragic results.