It is National Youth Traffic Safety Month and it is a time to highlight rules of the road for the youngest drivers out there. 

Among the youngest drivers are those that are issued their school driver permits by the Greene County School Board. Each month at their regular meeting, the Board receives a group of permit applications. Once the Board approves those applications, a student submits them to the Greene County Treasurer’s Office and will receive their permit. With that comes a list of different rules and regulations that can be enforced by law enforcement. 

Jefferson Police Chief Mark Clouse says for the most part, the students follow the rules of the road and what their restrictions will allow. He explains one of the most troublesome mistakes that these drivers make.

“I think the main one if probably a sibling or a friend off at a different school and then going to your school, which is against the rules  

However, Clouse points out that even in those scenarios and others, his officers don’t necessarily issue citations.

“Because a citation in a situation like that is going to be a guarantee that your school permit is gone. So if it’s kind of a minor infraction, we can work on education as well.”  

Clouse encourages all teens that have a school driving permit, another type of permit, or just getting their full driver’s license, to always remember to obey all traffic laws to ensure everyone’s safety while traveling on the roadway.