Fulshear Police Department's Teen Driving Class Continues to Expand
For young adults, learning to drive is a rite of passage that paves the road towards a newfound sense of freedom. It can also be a daunting process for teenagers, both in the driver’s education classroom and on the road while trying to obey traffic laws. But what many teen drivers don’t seem to be adequately exposed to is education about distracted driving and how to conduct themselves with law enforcement during a traffic stop.
Captain McCoy of the Fulshear Police Department became acutely aware of this growing trend six years ago on a personal level. At the time, his own teenage daughter had begun driving but did not know what to do during a traffic stop. Seeing this problem in the media and now in his own family, McCoy felt a need to do something about this growing issue among teen drivers.
The program started off small with just 20 students, focusing on teaching teenage drivers what to do if they get pulled over and how to find a safe place to pull over. Since inception, ensuring the safety of the teen driver and the police officer conducting the traffic stop is a top priority woven throughout the curriculum. Among many topics, McCoy shares guidance on where and how to place your hands for visibility and transparency, remaining calm and if the driver has a complaint about the traffic stop, to share that feedback with the police department after the stop has concluded.
As word caught on and the program grew in popularity, McCoy added a distracted driving component to his curriculum. Within the last few years, a training facility has been added to the Fulshear Police Department, making this outreach initiative even more accessible, comfortable and inviting for class participants.
In September of 2015, the State of Texas began requiring completion of the Impact Texas Teen Drivers program (ITTD), which features an informational video that shares the dangers of distracted driving along with real life stories of teens that have lost their lives. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, in 2021, nearly one in five crashes on Texas roads were caused by a distracted driver in which 431 people died and 2,934 were seriously injured. But education on this critical subject should be to be revisited and reinforced beyond one instructional video.
The Texas Department of Transportation identifies distracted driving as being any activity that takes your attention away from driving. Distractions can include anything from texting and talking on a mobile phone to eating and drinking, putting on makeup, shaving, reading, programming a navigation system, watching a video, and even adjusting the radio.
Parents often learn something valuable while sitting in on their child’s class. “A lot of times, adults who bring their children to the class are often surprised by what they learn themselves,” said McCoy.
Now, in addition to offering classes at the Fulshear Police Department’s training facility, McCoy also brings this impactful program to area high schools like Jordan High School, where he recently completed a class attended by over 1,500 students. Hosting the class in a school’s performing arts center makes it much easier for McCoy to reach more students at one time. The school-based class is an immersive, video-driven program that incorporates humor as well as impactful videos to drive the lessons home. Jordan High School’s administration has asked him to return for this class every year, and other schools are beginning to request the same.
“I’ve spent 41 years in law enforcement, starting when I was 19. This is one of the most important things I’ve done in my career,” said McCoy.
McCoy is working with IT staff to develop an online registration tool but in the meantime, those who are interested in registering themselves or their child in the program can send an email to Captain McCoy directly at MMcCoy@fulsheartexas.gov.
“I have three children and 8 grandchildren. I want to make sure that the people we pull over and the officers who are pulling over the driver all feel safe,” said McCoy.
For more information about the Fulshear Police Department, please visit their website. To reach the Fulshear Police Department Administrative office by phone, call 281-346-8888. For the Fort Bend County Dispatch, call 281-341-4665 then press "1". In case of an emergency, please dial 911.
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Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
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